ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Local Government

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the correspondence between his Department and the Committee on Climate Change on the outline proposal for the scope of the Committee's advice on how local authorities can reduce their carbon emissions.

Gregory Barker: Yes I will.

Carbon Sequestration: Finance

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding from the public purse (a) has been spent and (b) will be spent during the wind-up the Competition One carbon capture and storage project.

Charles Hendry: Just over £60 million has been spent to date. A further £900,000 is expected to be spent during the wind-up.

Chief Scientific Advisers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official R eport, column 30W, on departmental chief scientific advisers, which organisation seconded a staff member to his Department's support office as indicated in the staffing figures for March 2010.

Gregory Barker: The staff member was seconded from the Carbon Trust.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has lost any (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other IT equipment since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The following items have been lost or stolen since May 2010:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Computers (including laptops) 8 
			 Mobile phones 3 
			 BlackBerrys 11 
			 Other IT equipment 0 
		
	
	All computers and BlackBerrys lost were encrypted to protect government information.

Departmental Official Visits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost to the public purse was of the Department's official visits since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: The cost of official visits undertaken by DECC staff from 1 May 2010 to 30 September 2011 is £2.8 million. This represents the costs of travel, hotels and subsistence costs incurred by officials in the course of business, including overseas visits necessary to fulfil DECC's international energy and climate change obligations. The costs of official visits has fallen significantly in this period. For example, expenditure in the financial year 2010-11 was 42% lower (at £2.2 million) than in the previous financial year 2009-10 (at £3.8 million).
	All expenditure was incurred in accordance with DECC's “Travel and Subsistence” policy (applicable from 1 October 2010) which requires that:
	staff should only travel if it is absolutely necessary;
	all travel bookings must be made though the official suppliers and that; and
	standard or economy class must be used unless there is a clear business need for a higher class to be approved.
	The departmental travel guidance also encourages staff to always look for low carbon travel options such as using the train, or hosting meetings by videoconference.
	Details of DECC ministers' overseas visits is also published on the DECC website.

Energy Supply

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many discussions (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his senior officials have had with representatives of (i) National Grid and (ii) Scottish and Southern Energy in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Department has met, and will continue to meet, representatives from National Grid and Scottish and Southern Energy; and other similar stakeholders, at official and ministerial level. We regard all meetings with such stakeholders as important for the formulation of the Government's energy policy.

Energy: Local Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to promote energy saving practices in local authority-owned buildings.

Gregory Barker: The Green Deal will be available from late 2012 to all property tenures, including local authority owned buildings. It will offer energy efficiency improvements at no upfront cost with the cost repaid through the energy bill savings. We are working closely with the local government sector to develop these proposals.
	Up to December 2012 there remain significant opportunities for local authorities to deliver energy efficiency schemes in partnership with the energy companies through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) schemes.

Energy: Meters

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the letter from the Minister of State of 30 September 2011, whether contract metered customers with a debt of less than £200 are able to switch to another supplier in addition to prepayment meter customers.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the rules governing debt-blocking. Customers with a debt can switch to another supplier. However, suppliers have the right under their supply licence to block a transfer request when an amount remains outstanding on a customer's account 28 days after it has been formally demanded.

Energy: Prices

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with representatives of Scottish Power on changes in standing charges on energy bills in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the changes in standing charges on energy bills in the last 12 months.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers and officials meet with energy suppliers on a regular basis to discuss market issues.
	The setting of the standing charge is a commercial matter for the company itself. However, it is in their interest to set the charge at a reasonable level to avoid their customers’ considering the deals offered by other suppliers.
	Ofgem is currently consulting on a range of proposals on tariffs that will reform the energy market to make it simpler and more competitive. The proposals include a requirement for each supplier to offer one standard tariff for each payment method, for which Ofgem will set the standing charge.

Energy: Prices

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to combat the mis-selling of energy tariffs.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the marketing activities used by supply companies. In 2009, Ofgem brought in new rules for doorstep selling that require any information used during the sales process to be complete, accurate and not misleading. It is for Ofgem to investigate any allegations of the rules being breached and to take any necessary action.
	Last month, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), announced that the Government are considering giving Ofgem additional powers to secure redress for consumers where they have lost out as a result of a licence or energy regulation breach.

Energy: Prices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the likely cost per household of the introduction of smart meters;
	(2)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual saving in energy bills per household as a result of the introduction of smart meters.

Charles Hendry: The Government's updated impact assessment published in August 2011, estimates that the rollout of smart meters to the domestic sector will deliver a net benefit of almost £5 billion, leading to an average bill saving of £22 per household in 2020 and £42 in 2030. This reflects an estimated total gross cost of the domestic rollout of £11 billion, offset by £16 billion in gross benefits. These benefits include the direct savings to households as they are able to use energy more efficiently and the cost savings achieved by energy suppliers which are expected to be passed through to consumers.

Fuel

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration his Department has given to the use of liquid fluoride thorium as an alternative to nuclear fuel.

Charles Hendry: Ultimately it is for the industry to propose what type of fuel to use in any future nuclear reactors, the designs of which would be subject to independent regulatory assessment and acceptance. To date, no potential operator has put forward proposals for a thorium fuelled plant.
	That said, the Department is aware of the potential of thorium fuelled nuclear reactor designs, including those using liquid fluoride thorium fuel, and is in the process of assessing claims regarding its suitability as an alternative to uranium based reactors in the longer term.
	The current view of thorium reactor technologies from the nuclear industry is that, while the science is reasonably sound, developing reactors based on a thorium fuel cycle would carry major technological and commercial risks. The resources required to develop these technologies to the point at which they might be deployed successfully at a commercial scale are also very significant.
	To date, both in the UK and elsewhere in the world, this has prevented private industry and Government from investing significantly in the development of the technology. No thorium reactor design has been implemented beyond relatively small, experimental systems, while many either exist only on paper or have only had specific subsystems demonstrated. As an indicator of the challenge of taking this technology further, the Chinese Academy of Sciences estimates a development period of at least 20 years will be required before a demonstration thorium molten salt breeder reactor might be available.
	While thorium does not appear to have a part to play in the UK's near to mid-term energy market, we do maintain an interest in its development. The Secretary of State has asked the national nuclear laboratory to look further into the wider benefits of next generation reactor designs and to compare the use of thorium and uranium fuels in them. We are expecting the findings to be available in due course.

Green Deal Scheme

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure small and medium-sized enterprises can participate in the green deal.

Gregory Barker: SMEs will play a key role in delivering a successful green deal and the Department has been actively engaging all types of businesses to ensure that our approach is as flexible as possible and does not create unnecessary barriers.
	During the consultation period we will also be holding a number of events, including with SME representatives to explore some of the potential business models they may wish to consider.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department has to provide training to help domestic energy assessors become green deal assessors.

Gregory Barker: The national occupational standards for green deal assessors are being designed to recognise and credit the existing skills domestic energy assessors (DEAs) possess. We expect the market to begin offering qualifications from early next year, with DEAs existing skills set being taken into account, making it easier for them to upskill to become green deal assessors.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of green deal assessors needed to meet the objectives for participation in the green deal.

Gregory Barker: The green deal is a market-led initiative, so the number of green deal assessors required will vary depending on the size of this market. A healthy green deal market will provide substantial opportunities for those looking to become green deal assessors, in both full-time and part-time roles.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many green deal assessors are fully trained and ready to work.

Gregory Barker: The qualifications for green deal assessors are being finalised and we expect people to begin training early next year in time for the launch of the green deal.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what advice on competition law his Department has received on the decision to have a single green deal finance provider.

Gregory Barker: The Department is actively and openly engaging with a broad range of potential financiers for the green deal and has not taken a decision to have a single provider for green deal finance.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in meeting the Kyoto protocol targets on the emission of fluorinated greenhouse gases since 1990.

Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK has fully implemented a comprehensive EU regulatory framework that has been in place since May 2006 to control emissions, as part of the EU's commitments under the Kyoto protocol. The major focus is to minimise emissions of fluorinated (F) gases from products and equipment. This is mainly carried out through containment, leak reduction and repair and recovery of F gases.
	In 1995, UK F gas emissions were 17.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (mt CO2e). The late 1990s saw a sharp drop as the two plants in the UK that produced the ozone depleting substance R22 installed equipment that captured and destroyed F gas emissions created as a by-product of the process. These two plants have since closed. From the end of the 1990s, F gas emissions have been relatively steady. The latest finalised UK greenhouse gas figures are for 2009, and indicate F gas emissions were 11.7mt CO2e. With the recent full implementation of the EU F gas regulatory framework and the impact of technological change, we anticipate significant emissions reductions in the future.

Heating Oil

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to increase consumer protection in the off-grid energy sector.

Charles Hendry: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) enforces consumer protection law. Local authority trading standards services also have the powers to tackle such infringements of consumer protection legislation. Carmarthenshire county council has recently taken action against a heating oil supplier that engaged in unfair commercial practice by charging more than it quoted or not giving a quote with customers paying more than they expected.
	Following the publication of the findings of its off-grid market study, the OFT is actively examining this and related pricing practices, engaging with industry to ensure consumer law compliance, and will take swift enforcement action as necessary.

Heating Oil

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to increase the ability of consumers to switch suppliers in the heating oil market.

Charles Hendry: In its recent market study into the off-grid energy market, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) examined the heating oil market. The OFT found most consumers have a reasonably large choice of supplier with less than 3% of UK off-grid households living in a location with fewer than four distinct suppliers. It also found that heating oil consumers are normally able to switch supplier because they usually own their storage tanks and very few are tied into supply contracts. Moreover the OFT also indicated that consumers do not necessarily have to switch to a rival supplier to obtain lower prices if they can do so through the threat of switching.

Heating Oil

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to promote greater transparency in the heating oil market.

Charles Hendry: The UK has a competitive market for the supply of heating oil. It is regulated by the UK's independent competition authorities, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Competition Commission.
	On 18 October, the OFT published its market study into the off-grid energy market. The OFT found the primary driver of price increases to be the crude oil price which accounts for over 90% of the variation in the retail price of heating oil.
	During the market study, the OFT took action against certain heating oil companies and price comparison websites to improve transparency and prevent consumers being misled when searching online for heating oil supplies.
	The OFT study also identified that action is needed to protect heating oil consumers in relation to unfair contracts leading to consumers paying more on delivery than the price quoted at order. A successful prosecution by Trading Standards in August against a supplier for unfair commercial practice has re-affirmed the law in this area. The OFT is actively examining this and related pricing practices, engaging with industry to ensure consumer law compliance, and will take swift enforcement action as necessary.

Heating Oil

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that suppliers of heating oil deliver fuel to off-grid consumers at the price agreed at the time of purchase.

Charles Hendry: As I noted in my statement of 18 October 2011, Official Report, 59WS, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has just published findings from its market study into the off-grid energy market. The study has identified that action is needed to protect heating oil consumers in relation to unfair contracts leading to consumers paying more on delivery than the price quoted at order. A successful prosecution, under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, by Carmarthenshire county council Trading Standards in August 2011 for unfair commercial practice has reaffirmed the law in this area. The prosecution demonstrates that local authority Trading Standards services have the powers to tackle such infringements of consumer protection legislation. The OFT is actively examining this and related pricing practices, engaging with industry to ensure consumer law compliance, and will take swift enforcement action as necessary.

Insulation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the costs to energy suppliers of sending letters to vulnerable consumers on their eligibility for free or discounted insulation will be in addition to existing obligations on suppliers; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The costs to energy suppliers arising from funding letters to vulnerable consumers encouraging them to take up insulation offers will form part of the companies' overall costs in meeting their existing carbon saving obligations to promote energy efficiency measures.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to (a) regulate the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry and (b) monitor the difference in prices of LPG across the UK.

Charles Hendry: Regulation is typically introduced where natural monopolies arise. While the gas and electricity transmission and distribution networks are natural monopolies, this is not an issue for LPG supply where the UK has an open and competitive market with regulation by the UK's independent competition authorities who are the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Competition Commission.
	As I noted in my Statement of 18 October, the OFT has just published its findings from its market study into the off-grid energy market, which includes the market structure and pricing of LPG. The study followed an investigation in 2006 by the Competition Commission into the supply of domestic bulk LPG. The recent market study has found that the Orders made subsequent to the market investigation appear to have substantially increased switching rates for individual tank customers but the OFT will keep the effectiveness of and compliance with the Orders under review. The study highlighted that many pricing concerns with LPG tended to stem from contract terms. The OFT has considered consumer protection issues and is engaging with suppliers to seek improvement in the clarity of contract terms, particularly concerning cancellation and switching rights.

Motion-sensitive Lighting Systems

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses and owners of office buildings to install motion-sensitive lighting systems.

Gregory Barker: There are a number of ways in which the Department is taking steps to provide encouragement:
	The Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme will incentivise energy efficiency improvements in large organisations, through its combination of financial, reporting and reputational drivers. This should include incentivising the installation of motion-sensitive lighting.
	Under the Green Deal, we propose to include energy efficient lighting and lighting controls as an eligible measure in the non-domestic sector. Businesses will be able to install new lighting systems at no up-front cost with payments recouped through the electricity bill.
	The Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme for energy efficient products provides an incentive to industry to invest in plant and machinery where energy efficiency needs to be encouraged, enabling them to write off 100% of the cost of the asset in the year of purchase. High efficiency lighting units are included in this scheme and might qualify.
	We also work closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government who lead on building regulations. Building regulations set minimum standards for lighting systems and their controls, including recognising the benefits of motion-sensitive lighting systems, where property owners decide to carry out building work and replace their lighting systems.

Natural Gas: Exploration

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the process is for allowing Cuadrilla Resources to resume hydraulic fracturing operations for shale gas; and whether he will make the final decision on resumption.

Charles Hendry: A geomechanical study has been undertaken by Cuadrilla, the operator carrying out shale gas exploration near Blackpool, with its report due to be submitted to my Department very soon. The implications of this report will be reviewed very carefully—in consultation with the British Geological Survey, independent experts and the other key regulators—before any decision on the resumption of these hydraulic fracture operations is made. To resume hydraulic fracture operations will require consent under the Petroleum Act 1998 which is a matter for the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) to consider.

Natural Gas: Exploration

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the 14th round of UK onshore oil and gas licensing to commence.

Charles Hendry: Consultation on the strategic environmental assessment for the 14th onshore oil and gas licensing round completed earlier this year. DECC is currently considering the responses received and plans to issue a Government response as soon as practical. I would then expect to be in a position to make a decision sometime in the new year.

Natural Gas: Exploration

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the regulatory framework for shale gas exploration and drilling in (a) the UK and (b) other countries.

Charles Hendry: The UK has a robust regulatory system. All onshore oil and gas projects, including shale gas exploration and development, are subject to appropriate environmental controls, including scrutiny by the relevant environmental agency (for England and Wales, the Environment Agency), and are subject to safety regulation by the Health and Safety Executive. They also require planning permission, and consent from DECC, before drilling activities, which may include hydraulic fracturing, can commence.
	Further planning permission and development consent would be required, from the planning authority and DECC respectively, should the operator intend to move forward with the commercial development of the resources. An environmental impact assessment may also be required, depending on the area of the proposed works, or (if commercial production is proposed) on the expected level of production. Appropriate assessments under the habitats and birds directives may also be necessary in specific locations.
	I have made no assessment of the regulatory framework in other countries. Government do continue to study the experience already gained in north America, and any available learning for shale gas activities in the UK. However UK conditions, including the geology, and the UK regulatory framework, are different, and there will not necessarily be any straightforward read across from the experience of other countries.

Nuclear Installations: Floods

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his contribution of 11 October 2011, Official Report, column 190, on the Weightman Report (Fukushima), if he will set out a site-by-site assessment on the steps his Department is taking to ensure that licensed nuclear sites can continue to operate with satisfactory back-up systems regardless of the magnitude of flooding events.

Charles Hendry: As Dr Weightman’s report notes:
	“The protection of nuclear sites from flood risk is already a well established part of ensuring safety at nuclear sites. However, it is important to learn any lessons from the Fukushima accident and for the industry to review flooding studies in line with the principles of continuous improvement”
	(Final report, p. 153, para. 827).
	Annex F of his final report sets out a strategic summary of the flood risk around nuclear sites in the UK.
	Annex G of his final report summarises on a site-by-site basis, the flood risk and methodology for coping with and improving defences and reactions to flooding.
	Further to this, recommendation IR-10 of the report states that industry should initiate a review of flood defences at sites to confirm the design basis and its margins in terms of flooding in the light of the Japanese experience. In terms of back-up systems, recommendations IR-18 and IR-19 of the report seek review of the need for the provision of additional electrical or cooling supplies in the event of loss of off-site capacity under severe conditions or disruption. These actions will be taken forward by operators and may become part of the site’s Periodic Safety Review Programme and will in any case be reported to the Office for Nuclear Regulation. The Nuclear National Policy Statement also requires applicants to build new nuclear power stations to identify flood risk and the mitigation measures to be taken.

World Nuclear Forum

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the Royal Society's proposal that a World Nuclear Forum led by chief executive officers be established at the next World Nuclear Security Summit.

Charles Hendry: There is already a great deal of international activity looking at the issues of the future development of nuclear power and responsibilities for non-proliferation and nuclear security and safety worldwide. We recognise the value of co-operation between operators and Governments and support closer working between the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). Indeed, at the recent WANO biennial general meeting in China, the IAEA Director-General encouraged closer co-operation between the IAEA and WANO. However, we believe that this can be achieved without the need to set up new fora and secretariats.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Parliamentary Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Leader of the House what recent (a) oral and (b) written representations he has received on the issue of the tabling of parliamentary questions; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any such representations.

George Young: I have received no written representations on the issue of the tabling of parliamentary questions. However, during the debate on 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 515-52, I had the opportunity to hear the representations of a number of hon. and right hon. Members on this subject. The hon. Member will know that the provision of time on the floor of the House for any debates and decisions on the rules governing the tabling of parliamentary questions is now a matter for the Backbench Business Committee and not the responsibility of the Government.

Parliamentary Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Leader of the House what changes have been made to the rules governing the tabling of parliamentary questions in each of the last six years.

George Young: On 24 July 2006, the then Government proposed a change to the rules governing the tabling of parliamentary questions to enable questions to be tabled for answer on certain days in September that year; the proposal was agreed to by the House. On 28 March 2007, the then Government proposed a new Standing Order making such arrangements permanent; this was agreed to by the House and is now Standing Order No. 22B. Although not involving formal rule changes, on 25 October 2007 the House of Commons approved proposals for topical oral questions, which arose from a recommendation of the Modernisation Committee and were supported by the then Government; topical questions were introduced from the start of Session 2007-08. The Procedure Committee made a recommendation for earlier deadlines for questions tabled electronically in its Third Report of Session 2008-09, published in July 2009, but this recommendation was not considered by the House.
	The provision of time on the floor of the House for any debates and decisions on the rules governing the tabling of parliamentary questions is now a matter for the Backbench Business Committee and not the responsibility of the Government. The Government did not submit evidence to the Procedure Committee on written parliamentary questions prior to the publication of its report covering that subject. The changes agreed by the House on 13 October 2011 were proposed by the Chair of that Committee and debated in backbench time.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Adam Werritty

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings HM ambassador to Israel has had with the Secretary of State for Defence (a) in Israel, (b) in the UK and (c) elsewhere since May 2010; whether Mr Adam Werritty was present on any such occasion; and which (i) other officials and (ii) other people were present on each occasion.

Alistair Burt: All meetings which our ambassador to Israel has had with the former Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) since May 2010 are set out in the Cabinet Secretary's report of 18 October 2011. Our ambassador to Israel was also invited by the former Defence Secretary to a private social engagement in summer 2010 at which Adam Werritty was present.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: There are currently no consultants recorded centrally as working for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
	It is possible that consultancy is used from time to time in FCO Posts overseas where there is a lack of in-house specialist expertise, but gathering data on this would incur disproportionate cost. Any use of consultants would be subject to rigorous scrutiny and the acceptance of a business case.

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition of domestic violence his Department uses.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office uses the current cross-Government definition which defines domestic violence as:
	“any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.”
	In 2004, the Government introduced a single definition of domestic violence replacing the previous 14 different definitions in use across Government and the public sector.

Egypt: Christianity

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Egyptian Government on the treatment of Coptic Christians in Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) called the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 12 October to discuss the situation in Egypt. The Foreign Secretary raised concerns about the unrest in Cairo on 9 October and impressed upon the Egyptian Government the need to take action to address the violence.
	In a statement on 10 October the Foreign Secretary expressed his deep concern over the unrest and the loss of life in Cairo. He urged all Egyptians to refrain from violence, support the Egyptian Prime Minister's call for calm and for all sides to engage in dialogue. He said that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society.
	The Deputy Prime Minister discussed sectarian tension with the Egyptian Government during his visit on 20 October. We will continue to encourage the authorities to promote religious tolerance and protect minority rights.

European Union: Powers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what powers have been repatriated from the EU since May 2010; and what powers have transferred from (a) the UK and (b) other EU member states to the EU since May 2010.

David Lidington: There have not been any changes to the EU treaties since May 2010 which have resulted in a transfer of competence from the EU to the member states. Following the amendments introduced by the Lisbon treaty, the treaty on the functioning of the European Union now recognises the possibility that the European Union might decide to cease to exercise a competence conferred upon it by the member states and for this competence to be returned to the member states. The final sentence of Article 2(2) TFEU provides that:
	“The Member States shall exercise their competence again to the extent that the Union has decided to cease exercising its competence.”
	Article 5 of the treaty on the European Union makes clear that the Union shall act only within the limits of the competences conferred upon it by the member states under the treaties. The treaties and subsequent amendments thereto have been agreed by the member states by consensus and not by either majority voting or unanimity in the Council of Ministers. There have been no treaties agreed since May 2010 which have transferred competences from the UK to the EU. There has been a decision under the simplified revision procedure to allow for the amendment of Article 136 TFEU. This does not apply to the UK, nor does it transfer any competence from other EU member states to the EU. It remains to be ratified by all member states and therefore is not yet in force.

Iran: Sentencing

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Iranian authorities against the sentence given to Marziyeh Vafamehr.

Alistair Burt: I am pleased to hear that actress Marzieh Vafamehr's sentence of one year and 90 lashes has been commuted and that she has been released from prison. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials spoke to the Iranian chargé d’affaires in London on 20 October about her case. The UK was shocked by this sentence and believes that state sanctioned corporal punishment has no place in the modern world. We urge the Iranian authorities to review all other cases where this sentence has been imposed. With our EU partners, the UK has taken co-ordinated action to address Iran's human rights record, imposing travel bans and asset freezes on over 60 Iranians responsible for human rights violations, including government ministers and members of the judiciary.

Tunisia: Elections

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent elections in Tunisia; and what plans his Department has to engage with Tunisian representatives for the new Constituent Assembly.

Alistair Burt: The elections held in Tunisia on 23 October were a success. The Tunisian authorities and the Tunisian people should be congratulated for the orderly way in which the voting was carried out, the high turnout, and the access the Tunisian authorities granted to observers. Those observers, both domestic and international, saw a consistent, clear and systematic process.
	The Constituent Assembly will face the challenges of electing a speaker, nominating a president and then forming a government, before the work of drawing up a new constitution can begin. We look forward to engaging with the new democratically elected Tunisian Government, once it has been formed, including through our embassy in Tunis and officials here in London.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parliamentary Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the average number of written parliamentary questions tabled per sitting day was in each of the last six sessions.

John Thurso: The information requested has been calculated from the Sessional Returns and is as follows:
	
		
			 Session Sitting days Number of questions for written answer Average number of questions for written answer per sitting day 
			 2010-12 195 67,198 (1)345 
			 2009-10 69 25,467 369 
			 2008-09 139 56,192 404 
			 2007-08 165 73,357 445 
			 2006-07 146 57,825 396 
			 2005-06 208 95,041 457 
			 2004-05 65 22,292 343 
			 (1) 2010-12 figure is until end of September 2011.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Assets

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assets with a value of £250,000 or more his Department has bought since May 2010; for what purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The Northern Ireland Office has not purchased any assets with a value of £250,000 since May 2010.

Departmental Contracts

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: There are no staff employed on consultancy contracts in my Department.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has lost any (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other IT equipment since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The Northern Ireland Office has not lost any computers, mobile telephones, BlackBerrys or other IT equipment since May 2010.

Departmental Responsibilities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications from employees to run services for which his Department is directly responsible he has received since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Since May 2010, I have not received any such applications.

Patrick Finucane

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by Desmond da Silva QC in relation to the Finucane Review; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: Sir Desmond's review is independent of Government. He has been asked to deliver his report by December 2012 and progress on the review between now and then is a matter for him.

Patrick Finucane

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with Desmond da Silva QC on the Finucane Review.

Owen Paterson: I have not met with Sir Desmond de Silva since his appointment on 12 October and I have no plans to do so. Sir Desmond's review is independent of Government.

Social Enterprises

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had on promoting social enterprises in the area for which his Department is responsible in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The Northern Ireland Office has no departmental responsibility for promoting social enterprise. However, I have held discussions with the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development and others and have met organisations from within this sector as part of my duties in promoting the big society agenda, of which the hon. Member will be supportive.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Building a Fairer Britain: Reforming the Equality and Human Rights Commission

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many individuals responded to the Government’s consultation on Building a Fairer Britain: Reforming the Equality and Human Rights Commission; when the Government plans to respond to the consultation; and how many respondents agreed with the questions numbered (a) 1 to 7, (b) 11, (c) 13 and (d) 14 in the consultation document.

Lynne Featherstone: The consultation closed on 15 June, and we are currently considering the responses received. We will publish a summary of responses and the Government’s response to the consultation, setting out how we intend to proceed, in due course.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) the National Farmers Union and (b) other farming organisations on ensuring a strong domestic market for the produce of British farmers.

James Paice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, met with the NFU on 15 September where CAP reform was discussed. She also had further discussions on CAP reform with the NFU on 21 September.
	She has also met with the Institute of Grocery Distribution's Policy Issues Council on 21 September when ensuring a strong domestic market for the produce of British farmers was discussed.
	DEFRA officials have regular discussions with the National Farmers Union via forums such as the Quad partnership (along with representatives from the British Retail Consortium and Food and Drink Federation) and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Discussions are wide ranging covering for example:
	Public Sector Procurement
	Farm Assurance Schemes
	Groceries Code Adjudicator
	Business Development Manager Programme
	Land Release for Community Growing
	Officials intend to have further meetings with NFU and other stakeholders in the near future to discuss the new origin labelling requirements for meat.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent estimate is of the cost of (a) setting up and operating a licensing regime and (b) introducing a complete ban on the use of wild animals in circuses for (i) circuses, (ii) local authorities and (iii) the Government; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: It is our intention that the costs of a licensing scheme for animals in circuses will be borne by the circus industry itself, through the cost of the licence fee. DEFRA intends to consult on proposals in early 2012 which will include an impact assessment setting out the different options and estimates of the costs involved.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set a timetable for implementing a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert), during the oral answers to questions on 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 467-68.

Carbon Emissions

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department plans to make a decision on the introduction of regulations requiring mandatory public reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by businesses.

James Paice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will announce her decision on the corporate reporting of greenhouse gas emissions later this autumn.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the EU's Food and Veterinary Office on steps to penalise egg producers that are non-compliant with required changes to cages for laying hens.

James Paice: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 12 September 2011, Official Report, column 978W.

Ragwort: Poisoning

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of ragwort poisoning.

James Paice: DEFRA’s policy under the Weeds Act 1959 is to control injurious weeds where there is a threat to animal welfare or agricultural activities. However, it is the responsibility of livestock owners, in the first place, to ensure that their grazing land is free of ragwort infestation.
	The Weeds Act 1959 allows the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to take statutory action to control the spread of injurious weeds such as Common Ragwort. Natural England investigates complaints about injurious weeds on DEFRA's behalf and issues enforcement notices where appropriate.

Recycling

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to encourage the uptake of kerbside sorting recycling.

Richard Benyon: The Government are working with local councils to increase the frequency and quality of waste collections and to make it easier to recycle. We strongly believe that the best way to drive up recycling performance is for local authorities to determine the most appropriate form of recycling services for their areas, to reflect local circumstances and demographics. This enables local authorities to work with their residents to deliver recycling services that people will use. The Government will continue to provide advice and support to inform the decisions made by councils, through the work of the Waste and Resources Action Programme and others.
	We believe that it is better to provide positive reinforcement to people for doing the right thing than penalise them for doing the wrong thing and that this will encourage householders to make more use of the recycling services on offer. DEFRA has provided funding to local authorities and community organisations to support 16 projects to try new approaches to rewarding those who recycle more.

Travellers: Sewers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Travellers and Gypsies are treated differently from the settled population under regulations and guidance governing the release of sewage into the natural environment.

Richard Benyon: The discharge of domestic sewage to the natural environment, including waste water arising from normal domestic activities wherever it is carried out, is regulated by the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2010. There are no separate provisions in those regulations or accompanying guidance providing for different treatment for Travellers and Gypsies when compared to the settled community.
	Connection to a public sewer is the preferred option in all cases. Accordingly, the Environment Agency may or may not permit a discharge to waters from a proposed private sewage treatment facility in a sewered area. Small sewage effluent discharges (5 cubic metres per day or less to surface water or 2 cubic metres per day or less to ground), may qualify for an exemption from permitting.

Waste: Farms

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints her Department has received about odour from the spreading of waste on farmland in each of the last three years; and what the most common cause of those complaints is.

James Paice: DEFRA does not hold a central register of data about complaints of odour from the spreading of waste on farmland. To produce a definitive list of such complaints would incur disproportionate cost.

Waste: Farms

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of effectiveness of regulation of the practice of injecting treated human waste on productive agricultural land, with regard to (a) human health and (b) enforcement by local authorities.

Richard Benyon: The use of treated human waste—known as sewage sludge and septic tank sludge—on land is controlled by the sludge (use in agriculture) regulations, supported by a code of practice for agricultural use of sewage sludge. These statutory controls are enhanced by a voluntary agreement, the Safe Sludge Matrix.
	The Food Standards Agency's position is that the application of sewage sludge to agricultural land should not present any unacceptable microbiological risks to food safety, provided it is carried out in compliance with the statutory requirements, the code of practice and the guidance in the Safe Sludge Matrix. This view is based on the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food, which considered the issue in 2002.
	The sludge regulations require that:
	“where any untreated sludge has been used on land without being injected into the soil, the occupier of the land affected shall, as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, cause such sludge to be worked into the soil of the land affected.”
	Though it may be good practice to inject or incorporate treated sludge into the land on which it is being spread, this is not required by the regulations and is not enforceable.

Waste: Farms

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the practice of injecting treated human waste on agricultural land in EU member states.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold information on the practice of injecting treated human waste on agricultural land in EU member states, but has access to the three-yearly reports that are submitted by member states about the implementation of directive 86/278/EEC on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture. These are available on the Eurostat website.

Circuses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the appendices to the final report of the Zoo Licensing Inspectorate's circus feasibility study.

James Paice: The appendices to the circus feasibility study carried out for DEFRA in 2008 to evaluate the potential of an inspection system for circuses contained three inspection reports conducted as part of the study. These inspections were conducted on a confidential basis, and as a consequence we will not release these reports.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Private Rented Sector

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the rent levels in the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Government collect and publish extensive data on private sector rents. The most recent information appears in the English Housing Survey Household report, published by my Department in July 2011 and the Valuation Office Agency's Private Rental Market Statistics published last September.

Affordable Housing

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition of affordable homes his Department uses in connection with the homes planned under contract through the Affordable Homes Programme; and how many homes which would be classed as affordable under that definition were built in each of the last 25 calendar years.

Grant Shapps: We said in the Affordable Homes Programme Framework for 2011-15 that affordable homes would be defined as set out in Planning Policy Statement 3 (on Housing). We consulted on, and issued a revision to, this statement to incorporate affordable rent in the definition of affordable housing, on 9 June 2011.
	This Department publishes live tables on additional affordable housing by financial year. These tables show affordable homes provided (new build and acquired) from 1991-92 to 2010-11:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/affordablehousingsupply/livetables/

Civil Disorder

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue lost by each local authority arising from homes and businesses damaged during the public disorder of August 2011;
	(2)  what allocations have been made from the recovery fund established following the public disorder of August 2011.

Bob Neill: I refer the hon. Member to my Department's press notice of 27 October 2011 which can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/2016851
	I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

Council Tax

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to his Department was of (a) council tax relief for second home owners and (b) empty property discounts in (i) England and (ii) each local authority area in the last year for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: The costs to authorities of discounts and exemptions are supported through Formula Grant. Formula Grant is an unhypothecated block grant and it is not therefore possible to say how much is provided for discounts and exemptions. The total amount of Formula Grant is set during the spending review. Formula Grant is funded from within the local government departmental expenditure limit.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he receives any external funding for (a) his ministerial office and (b) his advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of any such funding.

Bob Neill: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government does not receive any external funding for his ministerial office or special advisers.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments his Department has made available to local authorities for the purposes of maintaining weekly refuse collection.

Bob Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Tom Blenkinsop) on 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 61W.

Empty Property

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many vacant homes there are in each county; and what proportion of homes this figure represents.

Bob Neill: Details of the number of domestic dwellings reported as empty for council tax purposes in each county in England and the proportion of the total number of domestic dwellings that this represents are shown in the following table. The data are a snapshot taken in October 2010.
	The county data only include data for shire district authorities within that county. Data for unitary authorities, metropolitan districts and London boroughs are included in the Rest of England line.
	The data are for both short-term and long-term empty dwellings.
	The data are taken from the Council Tax Base form completed annually in the autumn by all billing authorities in England and returned to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	
		
			  Total empty dwellings Proportion of dwellings that are vacant (percentage) 
			 Buckinghamshire 5,059 2.5 
			 Cambridgeshire 6,673 2.6 
			 Cumbria 9,787 4.1 
			 Derbyshire 12,360 3.6. 
			 Devon 10,041 2.9 
			 Dorset 5,157 2.7 
			 East Sussex 7,914 3.3 
			 Essex 15,700 2.6 
			 Gloucestershire 8,200 3.1 
			 Hampshire 13,018 2.3 
			 Hertfordshire 10,641 2.3 
			 Kent 19,473 3.1 
			 Lancashire 24,008 4.6 
			 Leicestershire 7,762 2.8 
			 Lincolnshire 11,328 3.5 
			 Norfolk 12,838 3.2 
			 North Yorkshire 9,743 3.6 
			 Northamptonshire 9,117 3.1 
			 Nottinghamshire 12,446 3.6 
			 Oxfordshire 6,797 2.5 
			 Somerset 7,837 3.3 
			 Staffordshire 11,454 3.2 
			 Suffolk 10,097 3.1 
			 Surrey 11,964 2.5 
			 Warwickshire 7,018 3.0 
			 West Sussex 8,937 2.5 
			 Worcestershire 7,103 2.9 
			    
			 All shire counties 282,472 3.0 
			    
			 Rest of England 455,019 3.3 
			    
			 Total England 737,491 3.2

Non-domestic Rates

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on ensuring take-up of small business rate relief.

Bob Neill: As pledged in the coalition agreement, in order to help authorities increase take-up we are, through the Localism Bill, removing the legal requirement for ratepayers to submit an application form in order to claim the relief. Councils will therefore be free to administer the relief in a way that best serves local businesses and local needs. We are also amending secondary legislation to ensure that all eligible businesses automatically have their bills calculated using the small business multiplier.
	In addition, we have doubled small business rate relief until 30 September 2012. Approximately a third of a million ratepayers are paying no rates for that period.

Planning Permission

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many development sites are identified in local development frameworks approved in 2010 and 2011; and whether all local development frameworks approved in 2010 and 2011 include provision for Gypsy and Traveller sites.

Bob Neill: The Government do not gather this information centrally, as the content of local councils' development plans is a local matter. Local councils' development plans are available for public inspection.

Second Homes

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many second homes there are in (a) Southwark and (b) England.

Bob Neill: In October 2010, Southwark council reported there were 1,945 dwellings registered as second homes for council tax purposes; at the same time there were 246,000 dwellings registered as second homes for council tax purposes in England.
	The data are taken from the Council Tax Base form completed annually in the autumn by all billing authorities in England and returned to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what obligations local authorities have to provide for Gypsy and Traveller sites following the introduction of new guidelines.

Bob Neill: The Government published their draft new planning policy for Traveller sites for consultation in April. A copy is in the Library of the House. The consultation closed in August. We are currently analysing the responses and intend to publish a new policy in due course.
	In the meantime, Circular 01/2006 (Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites) and Circular 04/2007 (Planning for Travelling Showpeople) are extant. However, decision-makers are entitled to have regard to the fact that it is intended to withdraw them and replace them with the draft policy.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what legislative proposals he plans to bring forward that will affect the obligations of local authorities regarding Gypsy and Traveller sites.

Bob Neill: The Localism Bill contains a number of measures aimed at decentralising the planning system and shifting power from central Government back into the hands of individuals, communities and councils. These measures are of general application, and do not apply specifically to Traveller sites.
	Such measures include the proposed abolition of regional strategies. This will remove the system of top-down site targets that imposed development on communities and make local authorities responsible for determining the right level of Traveller site provision in their area, in consultation with local communities.
	The Government published their draft new planning policy for Traveller sites for consultation in April. The consultation closed in August. We are currently analysing the responses and intend to publish a new policy in due course.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the role of the local authority core strategy is in relation to Gypsy and Traveller sites.

Bob Neill: Existing planning policy for Traveller sites is set out in Circular 01/2006: ‘Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites’.
	The Government published their draft new planning policy for Traveller sites for consultation in April. The draft policy aims to be short, light touch and fair and put the provision of sites back into the hands of local councils in consultation with local communities. The consultation closed in August. We are currently analysing the responses and intend to publish a new policy in due course.
	In the meantime, Circular 01/2006 is extant. However, decision makers are entitled to have regard to the fact that it is intended to withdraw and replace it with the draft policy.

Waste Disposal: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the total amount of (a) domestic and (b) commercial refuse (i) collected and (ii) recycled in each London borough in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: DEFRA holds, data on domestic and commercial refuse handled by local authorities within its WasteDataFlow database. Annual data on all individual English local authorities can be accessed online at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/environment/waste/wrfg23-wrmsannual/
	In addition, a national survey of commercial and industrial waste was carried out by DEFRA in 2009. Data on all business waste generated in London boroughs are included in the report which can be accessed via
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/environment/waste/wrfg03-indcom/
	The WasteDataFlow data on local authority collected waste demonstrate the overall increase in levels of recycling which our new initiative, the Weekly Collection Support Scheme, will also promote. The scheme will encourage councils to combine better weekly services with improved recycling. Detail on this scheme will be available shortly.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Dignitas

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Law Officers Departments collect information on the number of people from the UK who travel to Dignitas in Switzerland who are (a) patients and (b) accompanying patients; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Grieve: None of the Law Officers Departments collects such information.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many letters he has received on funding for civil society organisations within the Law Officers Departments’ area of responsibility in each month since 1 June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Grieve: The Law Officers Departments do not fund any civil sector organisations.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Standards

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average length of time was between a crime being committed and an offender being sentenced in each year from 1997 to 2011 inclusive;
	(2)  what the average time taken was from sentencing to appeal hearing in each year from 1997 to 2011;
	(3)  what the average time taken was from the end of a trial to the sentencing in each year from 1997 to 2011 inclusive;
	(4)  what the average time taken was from arrest to charge in each year from 1997 to 2011 inclusive;
	(5)  what the average time taken was from charge to the commencement of a trial in each year from 1997 to 2011 inclusive.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 provides the average length of time from: (i) the date of arrest to the date of charge; (ii) the date of offence being committed to the date of charge; (iii) the date of charge to the date of first hearing; (iv) the date of first hearing to the date of completion (verdict or sentence); and (v) date of offence to the date of completion, for defendants in charged cases concluding in either the magistrates courts or Crown court from April 2010 to June 2011, the latest date for which statistics are currently available. In addition, the average time taken from the date of offence to date of completion of the case has been provided for defendants in all criminal cases, including summons cases. These statistics are sourced from the administrative data systems used in the courts, and have been produced by linking together records held on the two datasets.
	This information is not available prior to April 2010. For the years 1997 to 2010, the available statistics relate to the average time taken from offence to the completion of a defendant's case in the magistrates courts. These are provided in Table 2, and are estimates sourced from the discontinued Time Interval Survey. Since the data are survey data and relate to the completion of a defendant's case in the magistrates courts only, note that these data are not comparable to the figures in Table 1.
	Table 3 provides the average waiting time—the time taken from the lodging of an appeal to the first substantial hearing—for appeals dealt with in the Crown court, after receiving a conviction or sentence in the magistrates courts.
	Information on the average time from the end of a trial to the sentencing and sentencing to the start of an appeal is not available, as the information required is not on the source data sets used for criminal courts timeliness analysis.
	Summary statistics on the timeliness of criminal proceedings in the magistrates courts and Crown court are published by the Ministry of Justice in the statistical bulletins ‘Court Statistics Quarterly’. Statistics for the quarter July to September 2011 will be published in January 2012 on the Department's website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-quarterly.htm
	
		
			 Table 1: Timeliness of criminal proceedings in the magistrates courts and Crown court, England and Wales, 1997 to 2010 (1,2) 
			 Mean (days) 
			  Charged cases only All criminal cases 
			 Magistrates and Crown courts Arrest to charge (3) Offence to charge Charge to first hearing First hearing to completion Offence to completion Offence to completion 
			 2010 (Q2 to Q4) 19 41 16 55 111 151 
			 2011 (Q1 to Q2) 18 38 16 59 114 157 
			 (1) Includes adult and youth defendants (2) Includes all cases concluded in either the magistrates courts or Crown court during the specified time period and excludes cases completed in magistrates court but not completed in the Crown court. Data are sourced from the linked administrative court data and include around 95% of completed proceedings. These data are only available from April 2010. (3) The arrest to charge column is a subset of the offence to charge column, so the first four columns will not add up to the overall offence to completion figure for charged cases. Source: Libra MIS Timeliness Analysis Report (TAR) and CREST linked court data, HM Courts and Tribunals Service 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Timeliness of criminal proceedings in the magistrates court, England and Wales, 1997 to 2010 (1) 
			 Mean (days) 
			  Charged cases only All criminal cases 
			 Magistrates courts only (2,3) Arrest to charge (4,5) Offence to charge Charge to first hearing First hearing to completion Offence to completion Offence to completion 
			 1997 — 27 28 50 106 142 
			 1998 — 28 25 47 100 140 
			 1999 — 31 20 50 101 139 
			 2000 — 30 8 54 91 138 
			 2001 — 30 6 51 87 138 
			 2002 — 30 6 51 87 142 
			 2003 — 31 7 51 89 144 
			 2004 — 32 8 53 93 147 
			 2005 — 38 9 53 100 149 
			 2006 — 41 9 52 102 148 
			 2007 — 38 9 48 95 147 
			 2008 18 40 10 38 88 143 
			 2009 18 41 12 36 88 141 
			 2010 20 42 12 35 89 138 
			 (1) Includes adult and youth defendants. (2) Estimates based on one week sample for all defendants in criminal proceedings that were completed in the magistrates courts. (3) Between 1997 and 1999, the results are based on one week period of each June. 1999 is a transitional period and results are now based on two surveys. Those are conducted in February and September. Thereafter, all criminal cases are collected in March and September. (4 )Data from arrest to charge are only available from 2008, because prior to this date, it was not a mandatory requirement to fill in the date of arrest (5) The arrest to charge column is a subset of the offence to charge column, so the first four columns will not add up to the overall offence to completion figure for charged cases. Source: Time Intervals Survey, HM Courts and Tribunals Service One Performance Truth (OPT) system 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Average waiting times for appellants dealt with (1)  in the Crown court having appealed the decision of a magistrates court, England and Wales, 1997 to 2010 
			  Total number appellants of dealt with Average waiting time (weeks) 
			 1997 13,378 8.5 
			 1998 13,558 8.1 
			 1999 12,597 8.1 
			 2000 12,216 7.5 
			 2001 11,089 7.1 
			 2002 10,161 7.2 
			 2003 10,265 7.7 
			 2004 10,710 7.7 
			 2005 10,810 7.5 
			 2006 11,171 7.9 
			 2007 10,933 8.6 
			 2008 12,107 8.7 
			 2009 11,865 8.9 
			 2010 11,937 8.6 
			 (1) Excludes cases abandoned before appearance in court. Source: HM Courts and Tribunals Service CREST system

Claims Management Services: Complaints

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 510-11W, on claims management regulation unit, whether any complaint has been received relating to (a) Going Legal Ltd, (b) Legal Link Introductory Services Ltd and (c) Justice Direct; and when any such complaint was received.

Kenneth Clarke: Pursuant to the answer I gave on 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 510-11W, I can confirm that the response to the request made under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act for the above information has now been sent to the hon. Member's office. A copy of that response has also been placed in the House Libraries.

Coroners

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many responses to the consultation on the Public Bodies Bill were received in relation to the proposals on the Office of Chief Coroner; and how many such responses (a) supported and (b) opposed the proposals on the Office of Chief Coroner.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice consultation on reforms proposed in the Public Bodies Bill closed on 11 October. Of the 2,742 responses received, 2,646 referred to the Office of the Chief Coroner. 2,607 of these were identical responses from members of the public received via the Royal British Legion campaign website.
	The Department intends to publish its response to the consultation by the end of this year. This will contain a summary of the responses received.
	Details of the consultation can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/reform-public-bodies.htm

E-mail: Consultation

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether his Department has determined the causes of the loss of responses e-mailed to the consultation inbox PBB.Consultation@justice.gsi.gov.uk prior to 20 September 2011;
	(2)  on what date his Department (a) created and (b) activated the mailbox PBB.Consultation@justice.gsi.gov.uk for responses to the consultation on the Public Bodies Bill;
	(3)  whether he considered extending the consultation period for the Public Bodies Bill when it had been established that responses sent to the consultation inbox before 20 September 2011 had been lost;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of responses to the Public Bodies Bill consultation that may have been lost;

Jonathan Djanogly: The Public Bodies Bill consultation mailbox was created and activated on 5 July 2011. The consultation was launched on 12 July.
	The non-receipt of some responses e-mailed to the mailbox was due to a mailbox migration to the new Ministry of Justice e-mail exchange service prior to the start of the consultation. There were components missing within the mailbox at the point of migration meaning that some e-mails were not redirected from the legacy system to the new system. These e-mails would have been sent back to the sender and they should have received a non-delivery receipt.
	Ministers were satisfied that the steps taken once the fault was identified meant that extending the consultation was not necessary. A message was sent to some 7,000 stakeholders on 23 September advising them of the fault and requesting that any responses submitted via e-mail were re-sent. A similar message was placed on the consultation page on the Ministry of Justice website. E-mail was not the only available method of submitting responses to the consultation and the fault did not affect the receipt of hard copy responses or the use of the questionnaire that could be completed on the Ministry of Justice website.
	It is not possible to ascertain how many responses were not received. However, only one response was re-submitted that had not already been received.
	Details of the consultation can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/reform-public-bodies.htm

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has lost any (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other IT equipment since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice has recorded the loss or theft of (a) 127 computers and hard drives, (c) 71 BlackBerrys and (d) 293 other items of IT equipment between l May 2010 and 30 September 2011. Information on the number of (b) mobile telephones lost is not held centrally, and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	All Ministry of Justice laptops and BlackBerrys are encrypted and protected with a complex password; and all BlackBerrys that are registered as lost or stolen are blocked remotely, making it impossible for them to be used. The Ministry also implements security incident management procedures to ensure that the impacts of incidents are risk managed and investigations are undertaken to seek, where possible, to retrieve lost/stolen assets.
	The Ministry adopts government security policy framework requirements to protect its assets securely.

Telephone Services

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has allocated to each telephone helpline funded by his Department in 2011-12; what the purpose is of each such helpline; and how many calls each helpline received in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: Pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith) on 6 September 2011, Official Report, columns 380-81W, the Ministry of Justice has identified the following key characteristics to define a helpline:
	That the telephone line provides tailored advice or guidance to citizens or businesses (as distinct from communicating simple, standard information, or providing a transactional service)
	That the telephone line is citizen or business facing
	Using this definition, there are currently four helplines funded by the Ministry of Justice, as follows:
	1. Legal Services Commission Community Legal Advice helpline
	This provides free help including specialist legal advice and ongoing case work relating to debt, housing, employment, education and welfare benefits, tax credits and family issues for those eligible for legal aid.
	Budget allocation: approximately £23,000,000
	Number of calls received in 2010-11: 631,221 (latest complete figures)
	2. Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority helpline
	This provides tailored advice on applying for criminal injuries compensation.
	Budget allocation: £1,177,516
	Number of calls received in the year to September 2011: 220,348
	3. Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) Customer Contact Centre
	This provides advice relating to OPG services, including the registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney; the supervision of Deputies appointed by the Court of Protection; and the Public Guardian’s role in adult safeguarding.
	Budget allocation: £723,000(1)
	Number of calls received in the year to September 2011: 228,567.
	4. Court Funds Office helpline
	This provides tailored advice to clients and stakeholders.
	Budget allocation: £250,000(1)
	Number of calls received in the year to September 2011: 68,900
	(1) OPG and CFO are both self-funding organisations and consequently reimburse these costs.

Dignitas

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department collects information on the number of people from the UK who travel to Dignitas in Switzerland who are (a) patients and (b) accompanying patients; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice does not collect this information.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average fine was imposed by courts in each criminal justice area for using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants sentenced to a fine and the average (median) fine amount given at all courts by police force area, for using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks, in England and Wales for 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
	
		
			 Number of defendants sentenced to a fine and the median (1)  fine amount imposed at all courts for using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks (2) , by police force area, England and Wales 2010 (3,4) 
			 Police force area Fines issued Average fine amount (median) (£) 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,508 173 
			 Bedfordshire 1,350 200 
			 Cambridgeshire 894 200 
			 Cheshire 2,408 290 
			 City of London 367 350 
			 Cleveland 836 165 
			 Cumbria 812 196 
			 Derbyshire 1,683 240 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,196 200 
			 Dorset 1,400 250 
			 Durham 1,040 150 
			 Essex 3,272 200 
			 Gloucestershire 643 200 
			 Greater Manchester 4,271 180 
			 Hampshire 2,820 200 
			 Hertfordshire 2,465 235 
			 Humberside 1,766 170 
			 Kent 3,343 320 
			 Lancashire 3,467 280 
			 Leicestershire 1,336 200 
			 Lincolnshire 1,210 213 
			 Merseyside 3,663 175 
			 Metropolitan Police 21,449 290 
			 Norfolk 1,084 200 
			 North Yorkshire 961 200 
			 Northamptonshire 1,438 300 
			 Northumbria 2,812 160 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,116 200 
			 South Yorkshire 3,002 170 
			 Staffordshire 1,598 200 
			 Suffolk 923 210 
			 Surrey 1,929 300 
		
	
	
		
			 Sussex 2,122 200 
			 Thames Valley 2,042 210 
			 Warwickshire 1,212 323 
			 West Mercia 1,588 205 
			 West Midlands 5,912 200 
			 West Yorkshire 5,631 230 
			 Wiltshire 887 285 
			 Dyfed-Powys 985 200 
			 Gwent 714 163 
			 North Wales 1,463 280 
			 South Wales 3,484 185 
			 England and Wales 105,082 200 
			 (1) ( )The average fine amount is calculated using a median measure, i.e. the middle value in the ordered list of values. (2) Includes offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988. s.143(2). (3) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost per (a) place and (b) prisoner was in each publicly-run prison in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: The table provides overall average resource cost per place and cost per prisoner at each public sector prison for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 as published in the National Offender Management Service Annual Reports of 2009-10 and 2010-11 under each year’s Management Information Addendum.
	Cost per place is overall resource expressed in terms of the baseline certified normal accommodation, and cost per prisoner is overall resource expressed in terms of average prisoner population.
	Figures for the two years are not directly comparable due to changes in accounting treatment arising from the Government's Clear Line of Sight initiative.
	
		
			 Cost by establishment (overall resource expenditure) 
			 £ 
			  2010-11 2009-10 
			 Establishment name Cost per place Cost per prisoner Cost per place Cost per prisoner 
			 Acklington 29,497 31,424 32,238 32,632 
			 Ashwel1 19,461 56,425 26,868 80,004 
			 Askham Grange 30,127 37,322 36,963 47,120 
			 Aylesbury 42,158 43,286 48,173 48,716 
			 Bedford 50,854 34,293 55,072 37,462 
			 Belmarsh 67,839 63,736 75,750 69,310 
			 Birmingham 38,312 29,471 41,301 31,789 
			 Blantyre House 35,684 36,203 38,961 39,749 
			 Blundeston 36,412 36,044 40,555 37,568 
			 Brinsford 39,374 41,070 44,890 47,853 
			 Bristol 49,514 35,235 52,476 36,600 
			 Brixton 53,251 40,295 48,550 38,527 
			 Buckley Hall 38,981 35,793 42,720 39,227 
			 Bullingdon 36,946 29,789 41,764 33,607 
			 Bullwood Hall 42,495 41,845 49,204 45,873 
			 Bure 32,682 31,982 109,546 111,201 
			 Canterbury 57,273 36,899 61,366 39,000 
			 Cardiff 49,215 33,336 54,131 36,747 
			 Castington 43,318 88,746 52,065 60,350 
			 Channings Wood 31,851 30,985 34,648 33,411 
			 Chelmsford 44,151 36,557 47,774 39,200 
			 Coldingley 40,804 39,640 44,205 43,121 
			 Cookham Wood 85,588 106,043 81,847 127,269 
			 Dartmoor 31,579 38,002 34,264 35,691 
			 Deerbolt 39,640 42,029 44,363 47,703 
			 Dorchester 66,648 42,709 73,445 45,723 
			 Down view 39,114 46,139 45,160 47,078 
			 Drake Hall 35,208 37,279 37,406 42,257 
			 Durham 50,979 33,177 55,904 34,886 
			 East Sutton Park 39,390 43,251 43,941 48,842 
			 Eastwood Park 45,464 47,244 48,216 52,062 
			 Edmunds Hill 33,139 34,646 37,728 38,943 
			 Erlestoke 31,019 36,700 33,824 34,176 
			 Everthorpe 30,985 27,897 34,911 31,187 
			 Exeter 54,503 33,589 59,195 35,715 
			 Featherstone 30,813 31,756 33,539 33,796 
			 Feltham 56,315 63,471 63,523 74,041 
			 Ford 33,415 37,239 27,118 27,998 
			 Foston Hall 43,659 50,648 49,262 60,679 
			 Frankland 60,626 63,400 72,752 75,600 
			 Full Sutton 64,379 65,675 73,854 75,480 
			 Garth 34,661 33,754 39,467 38,546 
			 Gartree 36,251 36,647 38,708 39,196 
			 Glen Parva 39,790 35,420 43,029 36,392 
			 Gloucester 52,465 40,039 56,954 42,432 
			 Grendon and Springhill 34,272 37,615 38,092 43,208 
			 Guys Marsh 31,621 32,204 36,306 33,034 
			 Haverigg 30,395 30,298 34,014 34,598 
			 Hewell 35,329 30,343 39,681 33,639 
			 Highdown 34,066 32,217 41,548 38,361 
			 Highpoint 29,060 28,653 31,744 31,609 
			 Hindley 48,311 78,476 46,121 83,685 
			 HMP Kennet 111,933 57,825 125,723 65,013 
			 Hollesley Bay 28,618 29,163 32,676 33,510 
			 Holloway 49,508 58,392 59,471 72,837 
			 Holme House 34,527 35,176 41,394 36,946 
			 Hull 41,629 30,983 47,478 34,176 
			 Huntercombe 26,049 63,695 52,943 81,977 
			 Isis 78,350 104,288 n/a n/a 
			 Isle of Wight 37,151 35,102 39,549 37,095 
		
	
	
		
			 Kingston 43,254 43,564 46,629 50,180 
			 Kirkham 30,626 30,918 34,651 34,977 
			 Kirklevington Grange 28,657 29,843 31,737 33,132 
			 Lancaster Castle 63,146 42,828 60,996 41,269 
			 Lancaster Farms 45,017 43,763 54,941 51,743 
			 Latchmere House 31,016 32,222 34,783 36,151 
			 Leeds 41,379 31,292 45,513 33,080 
			 Leicester 59,958 36,373 63,304 37,238 
			 Lewes 34,803 45,970 39,485 38,446 
			 Leyhill 28,482 30,104 31,304 32,907 
			 Lincoln 48,082 34,733 51,409 34,388 
			 Lindholme (+IRC) 29,028 28,022 34,469 32,757 
			 Littlehey 30,614 31,245 38,894 36,380 
			 Liverpool 30,931 29,687 33,311 29,862 
			 Long Lartin 60,345 62,052 66,373 69,331 
			 Low Newton 47,856 62,030 50,963 57,340 
			 Maidstone 30,908 29,437 34,727 33,345 
			 Manchester 51,287 41,401 54,201 42,589 
			 Moorland 31,558 35,530 37,346 36,794 
			 Morton Hall 28,564 43,807 32,985 37,236 
			 Mount (The) 32,479 31,781 37,558 36,803 
			 New Hall 49,710 52,221 56,954 61,821 
			 North Sea Camp 28,217 29,039 28,166 29,358 
			 Northallerton 53,372 40,459 58,942 38,352 
			 Norwich 37,723 31,711 47,457 40,743 
			 Nottingham 47,299 34,197 68,662 47,697 
			 Onley 33,367 34,059 37,275 39,027 
			 Pentonville 45,008 34,078 50,035 38,927 
			 Portland 34,153 43,698 37,677 42,813 
			 Preston 54,369 32,139 60,265 36,083 
			 Ranby 32,966 29,787 35,618 32,114 
			 Reading 58,780 47,626 66,632 50,556 
			 Risley 28,291 27,493 32,032 31,297 
			 Rochester 32,254 36,498 35,842 39,217 
			 Send 42,477 43,585 46,900 48,431 
			 Sheppey 32,168 29,894 38,331 37,102 
			 Shepton Mallet 49,061 43,059 55,216 48,376 
			 Shrewsbury 62,457 36,205 66,038 40,335 
			 Stafford 28,400 28,827 30,824 31,029 
			 Stocken 31,189 29,235 33,973 32,764 
			 Stoke Heath 37,060 42,708 39,642 42,883 
			 Styal 40,126 42,660 46,522 49,066 
			 Sudbury 22,517 22,808 25,553 25,913 
			 Swansea 61,612 37,154 63,886 39,909 
			 Swinfen Hall 34,461 33,369 38,436 37,398 
			 Thorn Cross 36,295 40,995 41,098 46,003 
			 Usk 40,402 30,801 43,848 33,139 
			 Verne (The) 27,980 27,230 30,488 29,587 
			 Wakefield 51,927 52,731 56,070 57,058 
			 Wandsworth 43,083 29,423 47,898 32,015 
			 Warren Hill 58,271 88,302 61,047 75,995 
			 Wayland 28,210 26,916 31,008 29,794 
			 Wealstun 33,501 36,972 34,420 54,177 
			 Wellingborough 27,898 34,251 32,865 32,947 
			 Werrington 57,860 76,404 60,599 73,546 
			 Wetherby 51,859 63,891 53,937 66,669 
			 Whatton 32,570 31,045 35,450 33,592 
			 Whitemoor 83,509 88,460 91,658 100,818 
			 Winchester 42,003 31,066 46,593 33,607 
			 Woodhill 68,161 56,929 75,454 62,175 
		
	
	
		
			 Wormwood Scrubs 34,143 32,051 38,559 35,584 
			 Wymott 29,732 28,559 34,501 33,088 
			 Average total 39,175 37,251 43,854 40,784 
			 Notes: 1. Displayed figures are subject to rounding. 2. The unit cost measurement used is based on overall cost which includes prison related overheads met centrally by NOMS, for example, property costs including depreciation (and cost of capital for 2009-10), major maintenance, prisoner escort and custody service (relates to transporting prisoners) and central HQ overheads. This involves some estimation. 3. Data for Elmley, Standford Hill and Swaleside are reported under the Sheppey cluster; data for Parkhurst, Camphill and Albany are reported under the Isle of Wight cluster; similarly, data for Blakenhurst, Brockhill and Hewell Grange is reported together as a cluster. 4. Dover and Haslar are not included as they are Immigration Removal Centres operating under Detention Centre Rules 2001. 5. Lindholme includes Lindholme IDC as it is a split site, part Category C Training Prison and part Immigration Removal Centre. 6. The following expenditure is not included: impairment charges, including the revaluation of land and buildings (2009-10: £525 million; 2010-11: £6.9 million); Operation Safeguard (use of police cells); cost of capital on assets in the course of construction (2009-10: £22.5 million); project, operating and commissioning costs at HMPYOI Isis in 2009-10 (£2.7 million), as the establishment was not opened during the course of year; costs associated with Probation (2010-11: £l,038 million); electronic monitoring (2010-11: £112.5 million); payment to Department of Health towards Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (2010-11: £22 million). 7. For certain prisons the unit cost is not typical, because they were in the process of change, e.g. Isis (2010-11) and Bure (2009-10) were building up capacity during the respective years.

Probation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether he has any plans to reduce the number of probation trusts through mergers; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to transfer responsibilities for probation services in England and Wales to (a) Police and Criminal Justice Commissioners and (b) local authorities.

Crispin Blunt: We are engaged in looking at the future shape of probation services in England and Wales, with the aim of improving justice outcomes. This involves looking at a range of options for service improvements and different models for delivering offender services within the community. This work is contributing to wider work we are undertaking to find further efficiencies across all justice services.
	We will ensure that our proposals are aligned with our priorities for the broader justice sector—including increasing competition, taking forward payment-by-results, and changes to wider structures and accountability at local level—as well as with the Government's priority to open up public services to a range of providers, including mutuals.
	We intend to announce the outcome later in the autumn.

Probation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to review the facilities management contract for probation trusts.

Crispin Blunt: A review of the Home Office shared estates services currently provided to the probation estate on behalf of the Ministry of Justice is under way.
	Current facilities management contracts are due to expire in 2013 and options for the future delivery of estate services to probation are currently being looked at.

Probation: Advisory Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the potential role of the (a) voluntary and (b) private sector in offering probation services advice.

Crispin Blunt: Under section 4 of the Offender Management Act 2007, arrangements for probation provision that relates to the giving of advice and assistance to the courts on sentencing or other matters may only be made with a probation trust or other public body.
	We are taking forward work on the nature of probation services in England and Wales and are considering various models for delivering offender services in the community. It is a wide-ranging review, which is looking at the structure of probation services and how they are commissioned and delivered. How the voluntary and private sectors can contribute to the future development of probation services will form part of that consideration. We intend to set out our preferred approach later in the autumn.

Probation: Mental Illness

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of the Probation Service to support offenders with mental health problems.

Crispin Blunt: The national health service is responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of offenders with mental health problems. Probation trusts work with primary care trusts to identify the level of support required by offenders with mental health needs.
	The Ministry of Justice and the Home Office are working with the Department of Health to ensure that, where appropriate, offenders with mental health problems are diverted from the criminal justice system at an early stage. We aim to ensure that liaison and diversion services are available in police custody suites and at courts by 2014.

Probation: Mental Illness

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to introduce comprehensive mental health training for all probation staff who work with offenders who have specific mental health needs; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Probation staff are trained to work with a wide range of offenders who have complex needs, including mental health needs. The Offender Assessment System is a structured framework which assists offender managers to assess the risks and needs of offenders and to develop sentence- and risk-management plans that are appropriate and robust.
	Identifying a possible mental health need and referring the offender for specialist assessment are a critical part of the offender management role. However, offenders with mental health needs are best managed by means of a cross-agency approach, involving mental health professionals.

Probation: Training

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to improve professional training for probation staff.

Crispin Blunt: The introduction of the Probation Qualification Framework (PQF) in 2010 provided a contemporary professional qualification pathway that includes provision for all offender facing staff delivering probation services. The PQF has been welcomed by stakeholders and is underpinned by a comprehensive Regulatory Framework, quality assured by the Probation Qualification Assurance Board. The Justice Select Committee on the Role of the Probation Service commented favourably on the PQF model in their report published earlier this year and it is therefore considered to be fit for purpose.
	Post qualification professional training is a joint responsibility between NOMS and probation employers. Where appropriate, NOMS provides a central training model for local implementation e.g. in the case of accredited programmes tutor training.

DEFENCE

Adam Werritty

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (a) who attended and (b) what topics were discussed during meetings on official business with representatives of the Sri Lankan Government at which Mr Werritty was present.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 18 October 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Secretary's report “Allegations against the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP” published on 18 October 2011 and available on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/allegations-against-rt-hon-dr-liam-fox-mp-report-cabinet-secretary

Adam Werritty

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish emails between himself and Mr Adam Werritty pertaining to official business.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 18 October 2011
	I have neither sent nor received any emails to or from Mr Werritty.

Adam Werritty

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what times and dates (a) he, (b) his special advisers and (c) his private office have had telephone or email contact in an official capacity with Mr Adam Werritty since his appointment.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 18 October 2011
	There has been no contact between Mr Werritty and me, my special advisers, or my Private Office since my appointment.

Adam Werritty

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether minutes were kept of a meeting in September 2010 between the right hon. Member for North Somerset, then Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Matthew Gould, then UK Ambassador Designate to Israel, and Mr Adam Werritty.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 24 October 2011
	They were not.

Armed Forces: Training

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a comparative assessment of the cost of military training programmes offered to allies by the UK and the cost of such programmes offered by (a) France, (b) the US, (c) Italy, (d) Germany and (e) Spain; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold data relating to the costs of equivalent training programmes offered by France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the USA. It is therefore not possible to make a cost comparison between training programmes offered by the UK and broadly equivalent programmes provided by those countries.
	Where training places are made available on courses offered by our allies which are considered to be of the highest security co-operation value we have in place reciprocal training arrangements whereby training costs are waived by the respective host country. Consequently no payments are made and the cost of the course remains effectively invisible. The MOD has such reciprocal agreements with France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the USA covering one of our key courses, the Advanced Command and Staff Course run by the UK Defence Academy.

Chelsfield Ammunition Depot

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department's agent followed the full Crichel Down Rules in respect of advertising and for sale notices prior to the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot;
	(2)  for what reasons his Department and its agent did not obtain full planning permission for the Chelsfield Ammunition Depot site prior to its sale;
	(3)  what estimate his Department was given of the potential value with class B planning permission of the Chelsfield Ammunition Depot prior to its disposal;
	(4)  for what reasons his Department's agent did not seek a formal written response from the local planning authority prior to the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 21 October 2011
	The Crichel Down Rules were fully complied with. In accordance with the rules, the former owner of the Chelsfield site was identified and approached, but declined those areas that were offered back.
	Given that the development potential for the site was limited, a planning application was not progressed, as to do so would not provide value for money. For similar reasons no valuation of the site with planning permission was obtained, as it was not sold with any such planning permission.
	I refer my hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon), to the answer the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Peter Luff), gave on 13 October 2011, Official R eport, column 496W.
	As the sale was on an informal tender basis and no formal planning designation was sought, prospective bidders were in a position to make their own inquiries with the local planning authority as to planning potential for the site.

Defence Equipment

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he expects to publish the White Paper on equipment, security and technology for UK Defence and Security.

Peter Luff: We intend to publish a White Paper on technology, equipment, and support for UK defence and security by the end of the year.

Dubai

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have returned from Afghanistan via Dubai.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 21 October 2011
	Twice since May 2010.

E-mail

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of Government business.

Philip Hammond: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct Government business.

Ex-servicemen: Training

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether armed services personnel receive any advice on (a) education courses or training, (b) employment, (c) housing and (d) welfare benefits prior to leaving the armed services.

Andrew Robathan: Yes. All service leavers are entitled to some form of resettlement advice, whatever their rank and length of service. Further support is available to eligible personnel from the Career Transition Partnership (a partnership between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Right Management) through training courses which are free from tuition fees; career transition workshops; employment and future career advice; assistance with CV writing and job preparation; vocational training; and a job-search/recruitment facility.
	Specialist housing advice is provided by the Joint Service Housing Advice Office. This has been established to provide service personnel and their families with information and advice on the wide range of civilian housing options. These include: Homebuy Direct, New Home Build Buy and First Buy, for which members of the armed forces are given the highest priority.
	Each Job Centre district has an armed forces champion who has up-to-date knowledge of armed forces issues in the local area and will also provide support to veterans. Welfare benefits are a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions but advice and assistance in accessing benefits is available from the MOD's Veterans Welfare Service.

Falkland Islands: Sovereignty

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Argentina on the Falkland Islands.

Philip Hammond: I have not had any discussions with my counterpart in Argentina.

Geneva Convention

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the legal review on the L27 and L26 120mm Depleted Uranium ammunition undertaken in accordance with Article 36 in Amended Protocol 1 of the Geneva convention.

Nick Harvey: A legal review of this type was not required for munitions which entered service before the date on which the UK ratified Additional Protocol I to the Geneva conventions. However, I have instructed my officials to carry out the review.

HMS Endurance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the earliest in-service date for HMS Endurance.

Peter Luff: No decision has yet been made on whether to repair or to dispose of HMS Endurance. A decision on the ship's future is anticipated to be made in 2012.

HMS Protector

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the original estimated cost to the public purse was of equipping HMS Protector to fully operational status; and what recent estimate he has made of the cost of such equipping.

Peter Luff: The contract for the lease of HMS Protector, worth £26 million over three years, also includes full contractor support and some fitting or refurbishment of equipment for use by the Royal Navy. In addition to this, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has estimated that a further £3.2 million would need to be spent to fit military task equipment such as survey boats and communications equipment.
	The £26 million figure will remain unchanged over the life of the initial contract and the MOD currently estimates that the fitting of military task equipment will cost £3.7 million.

Navy

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value was of (a) spare parts (stores and equipment), (b) specialist and general tools and (c) other equipment disposed of by the (i) Royal Navy, (ii) Royal Fleet Auxiliary and (iii) Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy due to surplus requirements in the last year for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: The information is not held in the format requested. The figures provided in the following table represent the net book values (the net book value is the cost of the asset minus depreciation) of equipment declared surplus in the financial year ending 31 March 2011.
	The figures provided under the first two categories are not held by individual fleets (Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Fleet Air Arm).
	
		
			 Asset category Value (£ million) 
			 Engineering and Technical Equipment(1) 103 
			 General Stores(2) 6 
			 Other equipment (Royal Navy) 571 
			 Other Equipment (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) 270 
			 Other Equipment (Fleet Air Arm) 10 
			 (1) Includes spare parts (stores and equipment). (2) Includes specialist and general tools

Navy

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps his Department has taken to improve procurement procedures in the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Marines, (c) Royal Fleet Auxiliary and (d) Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy.

Peter Luff: The majority of procurement for the naval service is conducted by the Ministry of Defence's specialist procurement organisations: Defence Equipment and Support, for equipment acquisition and support; and Defence Infrastructure Organisation, for provision and support of infrastructure and estates. In addition, a central team undertakes procurement for the whole Department for a number of services including medical services, consultancy and manpower substitution.
	Services and equipment not provided by the principal organisations, largely comprising soft facilities management (including but not limited to catering, retail and leisure, training and training support) and support to naval service units overseas, is procured as necessary by the Navy Command Headquarters. All procurement conducted within the Navy Command is subject to the same framework as procurement elsewhere in the Department.
	Recent developments aimed at improving procurement of the services include the establishment of a team to develop and roll out a Navy Command procurement process with the objective of harmonising and simplifying procurement activity initiated throughout the naval service. This team is drawing upon experience in other parts of the Department and lessons learned in recent procurements. The Navy Command is also participating in pan-Department initiatives in respect of future hard and soft facilities management, use of pan-Department or pan-Government enabling arrangements and introducing a number of e-tools as part of an improvement programme.

Nuclear Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on nuclear weapons policy with staff of Atlantic Bridge since May 2010.

Philip Hammond: None.

Territorial Army

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, columns 885-86, on the Territorial Army, how much has been spent under each budget heading on the scheme enabling employers to apply for financial assistance to cover certain costs of replacing a reservist employee if they are mobilised since the inception of the scheme.

Andrew Robathan: Since April 2005, the following sums have been paid to employers, as financial assistance to cover the costs of replacing reservist employees in the Territorial Army when they are mobilised. A breakdown by year is shown in the following table. All expenditure is recorded against a single budget heading entitled “Employers Financial Assistance”.
	
		
			 Financial year Amount (£) 
			 2005-06 590,276 
			 2006-07 349,455 
			 2007-08 455,333 
			 2008-09 558,834 
			 2009-10 366,844 
			 2010-11 435,284 
			 2011-12 (from 1 April to 20 October 2011) 211,627

Trident Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the necessity of maintaining continuous at-sea deployment by at least one UK Trident submarine for the maintenance of an effective nuclear deterrent policy.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 25 October 2011
	As the Prime Minister made clear on 9 February 2011, Official Report, column 295, Continuous at Sea Deterrence (CASD) remains the backbone of our deterrence posture, ensuring a credible and capable deterrent against blackmail and acts of aggression against the UK's vital interests including her NATO allies. CASD is the UK's most enduring current operation and has been successfully delivered for over 40 years.
	As announced by my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), on 18 May 2011, Official Report, column 351, we have approved initial gate investment in respect of the replacement programme and selected a submarine design.
	As my predecessor also announced on 18 May 2011, a study is being conducted to examine alternative systems and postures in accordance with the provision in the coalition agreement.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Firearms

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private protection individuals working for wealthy Russian citizens living in the UK are licensed to carry firearms or other weapons.

Nick Herbert: Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended) makes it unlawful to manufacture, sell, transfer, purchase, acquire or possess, without the authority of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, any prohibited weapon or ammunition.
	It has been the policy of successive Governments that requests for the possession and carriage of firearms for personal protection purposes are refused on the grounds that these are not an acceptable means of protection in Great Britain.

Antisocial Behaviour

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) organisations and (b) individuals her Department consulted as part of its antisocial behaviour review.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office review included informal discussions with a range of organisations and practitioners involved in tackling antisocial behaviour, representing police forces, local authorities and registered social landlords.

Arms Trade: Exports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) Ministers and (b) officials from her Department attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition.

James Brokenshire: I attended the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition. Information available indicates that a total of 12 Home Office officials attended. This included the Director of Science, Engineering and Technology and the Director for the Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology alongside 10 non-SCS officials.

Arrests: Ex-servicemen

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether people who are arrested and detained in a custody suite are routinely asked whether they have been in the armed services.

Nick Herbert: No.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the costs to her Department and police authorities in respect of security for the proposed badger cull.

Nick Herbert: We are in discussion with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs regarding any police response and associated costs related to badger culling.

Cannabis

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the classification of (a) cannabis and (b) high THC cannabis; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: No recent assessment on the classification of cannabis and high THC cannabis has been commissioned by the Home Office.
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs last advised the Government on cannabis: classification and public health in its report published at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/acmd/
	In line with its statutory duty under section 1(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Advisory Council keeps under review the situation in the UK with respect to controlled drugs.

Civil Disorder

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued to those involved in public disorder during the summer.

James Brokenshire: Statistical data on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) are collected and collated by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The data do not detail the specific circumstances which lead to an ASBO being issued. It is therefore not possible to determine whether an ASBO was issued as a result of a defendant's participation in the recent public disorder, or for other reasons. That information could only be ascertained by reference to individual court files, which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Community Policing

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies for sergeants there are within safer neighbourhoods teams in England and Wales.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 27 October 2011
	Information on police officer vacancies is not collected centrally.

Convictions: CCTV

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of people who have been (a) arrested and (b) convicted as a result of CCTV evidence in each of the last five years; and what the offences were in each case.

James Brokenshire: Information on the evidence leading to arrests and convictions is not held centrally.

Crime Prevention

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the evidential basis was for the development of the domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence risk identification checklist.

Lynne Featherstone: The Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour based Violence (DASH) Model (2009) was developed by Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) from the good practice of previous risk assessment models. It was also informed by a comprehensive literature review, consultation with national and international academic experts and practitioners, officer/practitioner and victim focus groups and piloting in several areas.

Crime Prevention

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) evidence and (b) research her Department has evaluated on the effect of the use of (i) SPECSS+ and (ii) DASH by police services on levels of domestic homicide, serious incidents and repeat victimisation.

Nick Herbert: There has been no evaluation by the Home Office of the effect of the use of (i) SPECSS+ and (ii) DASH by police services.

Crime Prevention

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police services have fully implemented the domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence risk identification checklist.

Lynne Featherstone: The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) agreed that the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model could be implemented across all police services in the UK from March 2009. Although we understand that the majority of forces currently use DASH it is for individual forces to decide which risk assessment models to use and the training their officers and staff receive.

Crime Prevention

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used in deciding which domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence crimes are referred to the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference.

Lynne Featherstone: Agencies referring cases to a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) use an evidence based risk assessment tool to establish if the victim is at high risk of harm. The threshold for high risk is determined by each local area.

Efficiency Gains

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to deliver the efficiency gains required by HM Treasury.

Damian Green: holding answer 27 October 2011
	The Home Office is delivering efficiency gains by having the right systems and controls in place for budget allocation, robust business planning, scrutiny of spending proposals, investment decisions, monitoring and challenging discretionary spend, interventions to improve productivity and value for money in our activities, managed work force reductions and improved procurement of goods and services.

Firearms: Young People

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 10 were awarded a shotgun licence in each police authority in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 13 September 2011
	The total number of shotgun certificates granted to children less than 10 years of age is set out in the following table. This table covers the calendar years for which the data are currently available (2008-10).
	The data were extracted from the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) by the National Policing Improvement Agency. The NFLMS holds data on the firearms and shotgun certificates issued by police forces in England and Wales. These data are provisional, normally used for management and operational information only, and are not subject to the detailed quality checks applied to datasets used for National Statistics.
	
		
			 Number of shotgun certificates issued to those aged under 10 years of age, by force (2008-10) 
			  Force Number 
			 2008 Bedfordshire Police 2 
			  Cambridgeshire Constabulary 1 
			  Cumbria Constabulary 3 
			  Essex Police 2 
			  Gloucestershire Constabulary 1 
			  Hampshire Constabulary 1 
			  Lancashire Constabulary 2 
			  Northamptonshire Police 1 
			  Sussex Police 1 
		
	
	
		
			  West Mercia Constabulary 1 
			  Total 15 
			    
			 2009 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 1 
			  Cambridgeshire Constabulary 1 
			  Kent Police 1 
			  Northamptonshire Police 1 
			  Sussex Police 1 
			  Total 5 
			    
			 2010 Avon and Somerset Constabulary 1 
			  Dyfed Powys Police 1 
			  Kent Police 2 
			  Norfolk Constabulary 2 
			  Sussex Police 1 
			  Warwickshire Police 1 
			  West Mercia Constabulary 2 
			  West Midlands Police 1 
			  Total 11

Immigrants: Detainees

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women detained for immigration purposes in 2010-11 had children living in the UK and were separated from those children during their detention.

Damian Green: holding answer 25 October 2011
	The information sought is not recorded centrally by the UK Border Agency and can be obtained through examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.
	The UK Border Agency has a policy of not separating parents from children although it will sometimes have to deal with circumstances in which such a separation has already taken place. Separation is always in exceptional circumstances and only after full consideration has been given to possible alternatives. A key consideration is to ensure that no child is left unaccompanied by a responsible adult/carer.
	In cases where a parent detained in an immigration removal centre has a child in the community, the UK Border Agency will seek to facilitate contact between the parent and child, subject to the wishes of the family, and in liaison with the local authority where appropriate.

Internet: Regulation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and (b) industry representatives in respect of seeking solutions in responding to offensive and criminal material online; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Ministers across Government, including from the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), meet regularly with each other and with representatives of the private sector to co-ordinate a robust response to online issues facing the UK. An example of this joint working is the ministerially-chaired UK Council for Child Internet Safety, which brings together experts from a range of sectors including industry, charities, academia and law enforcement. Ministers also continue to discuss such issues with their European counterparts. The London Conference on Cyberspace, to be hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 1-2 November, will expand the international dimension of this work and launch a focused and inclusive dialogue to help guide the behaviour of all in cyberspace.

Organised Crime

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to report to the House on her work on a cross-government programme of action to deal with gang culture, as indicated in the Prime Minister’s statement of 11 August 2011, Official Report, columns 1051-55, on public disorder.

James Brokenshire: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, intends to report to the House on a cross-government programme to deal with the gang culture and serious youth violence shortly.

Police: Equality

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had on gender equality on police and crime panels in (a) England and (b) Wales in the last year.

Nick Herbert: As part of the Equality Impact Assessment Report for Police and Crime Commissioners, we considered the equality implications for police and crime panels.
	The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act sets out a “balanced appointment objective” that must, as far as is reasonably practicable, be met in establishing a panel. This includes securing a panel that represents ‘all parts of the relevant police force area’.
	In England, it will be the responsibility of the local authorities to secure the balanced appointment objective. In Wales, the Home Secretary will work with local authorities in order to achieve this.

Police: Manpower

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foot patrols by police officers working (a) alone and (b) in pairs were conducted in each London borough between September 2008 and September 2011.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 27 October 2011
	Information on numbers of foot patrols is not collected centrally.

TRANSPORT

Air Travel Organisers' Licensing Reform

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration she has given to redrafting the draft ATOL regulations to exclude Flight Plus arrangements sold by airlines from the requirement to provide financial protection.

Theresa Villiers: The view of the Government is that the powers currently vested in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport to make regulations on the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme do not entitle her to require airlines to provide financial protection for Flight Plus holidays.
	I am currently considering all the issues raised in response to the recent consultation on proposals to reform the ATOL scheme, including any amendments to the draft ATOL regulations needed to reflect accurately the Government's position.
	In response to industry concerns and to ensure that the reforms are implemented fully and effectively, I announced on 25 October that the new ATOL regulations will not now come into force on 1 January, as originally proposed. Instead I intend to implement the reforms in April 2012. I plan to announce the final decisions on the details of the reforms later in the year.

M4: Bus Lanes

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the effects of the removal of the M4 bus lane on motorists using the section of the M4 between its eastern terminus and Heathrow Airport.

Michael Penning: holding answer 27 October 2011
	The Highways Agency suspended the M4 bus lane on the M4 eastbound between junction 3 and 2 in November 2010 and is continuing to assess its effects. Interim findings suggest that there is an overall journey time saving in the order of 60 seconds for drivers travelling eastbound on the M4 between junction 4 (for Heathrow airport) and junction 1 (where the M4 terminates into the A4). Further detailed analysis and data collection is being carried out to complete a full year's review. The Agency aims to complete this work for publication in early 2012.
	The suspension of the M4 bus lane should not impact on traffic using the M4 westbound between junction 2 and 3, or on the M4 Heathrow Spur from junction 4 to junction 4a (which has a dedicated bus lane) to terminals 1, 2 and 3, or from the M25 to terminals 4 and 5.

Motorways: Congestion

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect on motorway congestion in area 10 of the network of a reduction in the managing agent’s contractual funding.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency is looking to meet its spending review 2010 settlement using a new outcome-based specification with service providers. An overarching requirement is for the service providers to ensure the expeditious movement of traffic to ensure that these changes do not increase motorway congestion.

Motorways: Accidents

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the cost to the economy of time taken to clear accidents from motorways after the reduction in the incident support unit service.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency has moved to an outcome based specification which allows its service providers to innovate and choose how best to deal with clearing the accident. As part of the new outcome based specifications, performance measures are based around incident clearance times rather than incident response by the incident support unit service, bringing estimated cashable savings of £11 million per annum. There are specified clearance times for reopening the motorway and it is expected that the new specifications will bring improved incident clear up times and economic benefits by focusing the service providers on swift incident resolution.

Motorways: Accidents

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of incident support units in reducing delays and congestion on motorways; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency has reviewed the effectiveness of incident support units and established that the existing service is not providing value for money in the current economic climate. In the future it will target motorways that suffer from delay and use the most appropriate vehicles and equipment to clear accidents.

Motorways: Accidents

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect on the safety of Highways Agency traffic officers of reducing incident support unit services; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: When reviewing the specification of incident support units, the Highways Agency maintained a key objective of ensuring the safety of all road users. Service providers will still be required to establish timely and appropriate traffic management to protect both road users and the traffic officer service.

Motorways: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect on (a) Warrington’s economy of delays and congestion on adjacent motorways and (b) delays and congestion on motorways around Warrington of reducing the incident support unit service; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency is moving to an outcome-based specification which allows its service providers to innovate and choose how best to deal with clearing the scene after an incident. There are specified clearance times for reopening the motorway which should bring economic benefits, both nationally and in the north-west.

Network Rail: Standards

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Office of Rail Regulation’s assessment of Network Rail’s financial performance and efficiencies for 2010-11, what assessment her Department has made of Network Rail’s performance in achieving track renewal efficiencies in 2010-11.

Theresa Villiers: The Department makes no such assessment. The independent Office of Rail Regulation assesses Network Rail’s progress on a continuous basis against the efficiency targets set for each control period.

Oil: Carbon Emissions

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what information she has received from Ministers in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on the viability of UK oil refineries if a common default value is not applied to crude oil; whether she has sought guidance from Ministerial colleagues in the Department of Energy and Climate Change in relation to her Department's forthcoming response to the consultation on the European Commission Directive on Fuel Quality; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make it her policy to promote the application of a common default value to crude oil in respect of greenhouse gases when responding to the consultation on the European Commission Directive on Fuel Quality.

Norman Baker: holding answer 25 October 2011
	This Government are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including from transport fuels, and we want the Fuel Quality Directive to be a key tool to achieve this aim.
	We believe that any methodology for calculating the greenhouse gas intensity of fuels used in Europe should account for the greenhouse gas emissions associated with all crude sources and should be based on robust and objective data. It must also be flexible and reviewed often enough to adapt to changes—for example so it can be updated as new evidence becomes available or reward new processes and technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
	My Department has been working closely across Whitehall, including with the Department for Energy and Climate Change, to understand the economic and environmental impacts of the current EU proposal on the UK, including on refineries, and considering how the European Commission's current proposals align with our aims.
	We are currently in the process of considering how the European Commission's proposals align with our aims.

Railway Signals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of potential changes in staffing levels which might result from Network Rail's consultation to reduce the number of signal boxes.

Theresa Villiers: How the signalling infrastructure is modernised and made more efficient is an operational matter for Network Rail, working to achieve the regulatory targets set by the Office of Rail Regulation.

Railways: Exhaust Emissions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) current and (b) planned work her Department is carrying out with train operating companies to reduce the carbon emissions of the rail sector.

Theresa Villiers: The Department includes environmental objectives in rail franchise specifications. These require train operators to develop plans to measure and reduce environmental impacts including carbon emissions.
	We are working closely with rail stakeholders to improve rail's energy efficiency and thus reduce carbon emissions. For example, we are supporting the roll-out of regenerative braking and energy meters on electric trains and through research into more efficient rail diesel engines. In addition, we are assessing the case for converting the Cross Country Voyager diesel train fleet so that it is able to run on electricity when operating under overhead electric lines.
	Going forward, the Department will support the efforts of train operators and other industry stakeholders to develop a rail energy strategy to reduce carbon emissions and enhance rail's overall performance. This strategy, which will form a key theme within a wider rail industry technical document due for publication in September 2012, will inform future rail investment decisions; for example, on new electrification schemes and rolling stock.

Railways: Fares

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Passenger Focus report, Ticket Retailing Website Usability, June 2011, what steps her Department is taking to improve the accessibility of the lowest priced train tickets sold via web sites.

Theresa Villiers: The Department has noted this interesting piece of work.
	We have already indicated that we plan to look at ticket retailing as part of our Fares Review. However, a number of Passenger Focus's recommendations are actions rail ticket retailers could take now and we would look to them to do so, for example, by helping passengers to understand that advance tickets are for one train and one train only.

Railways: Fares

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral statement of 19 May 2011, Official Report, columns 520-22, on the McNulty report and West Coast Rail, whether she plans a public consultation as part of her Department's review of rail fares policy.

Theresa Villiers: The fares review will be a first step towards a simpler, fairer and more effective system. In order to ensure that it addresses the right issues and is carried out effectively, Government are currently considering the terms of reference, scope and timetable for the review, including the appropriate form of consultation.

Railways: Job Creation

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which multiplier factor her Department's statisticians apply to direct job numbers to calculate the creation of indirect jobs in the supply chain.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not issue central guidance on multiplier factors to use to estimate the creation of indirect jobs in a supply chain.
	If the DfT were to use such a number it would choose one on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of the proposal.

Roads: Snow and Ice

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with (a) domestic and (b) international producers of de-icing salt on their capacity to replenish national salt stocks over the course of the winter in the event of severe weather.

Norman Baker: holding answer 26 October 2011
	Departmental officials are in close liaison with domestic salt producers and have met them on a number of occasions since the end of last winter to discuss resilience preparations, including their capacity to meet customer demands. The Department for Transport continues to monitor salt stocks, so that we can identify risks early on and co-ordinate any further action as necessary. Due to the existence of the strategic national stockpile and increased level of salt stocks overall compared to previous years, no discussions have taken place with international producers.
	It remains the responsibility of each individual local highway authority and transport operator to set its own winter service plan and to ensure it has the resources to deliver it, including ordering sufficient salt stocks. Local authorities and transport operators have their own contractual relationships with salt producers and we encourage them to work closely together over the winter period.

Rolling Stock

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many different classes of rolling stock she plans will operate on the railways by the end of control period (a) four and (b) five.

Theresa Villiers: The majority of rolling stock is owned by the rolling stock leasing companies. They lease trains to the train operating companies so they can operate their franchised services. With certain limited exceptions (for example relating to major rolling stock programmes linked to infrastructure investment funded by the taxpayer) this Government wish to see the industry take the lead in rolling stock decisions. Therefore, the class of rolling stock to operate on different parts of the network is generally a decision for train operators to make rather than Ministers.

Rolling Stock

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what classes of rolling stock are (a) currently operating and (b) scheduled to operate beyond their originally planned life-span; and when each such class is projected to be withdrawn.

Theresa Villiers: The information is as follows:
	(a) The classes of rolling stock currently operating are contained within table 3.2 of the Network RUS: Passenger Rolling Stock issued in September 2011. This can be found on the following website:
	http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=%5 CRUS%20Documents%5CRoute%20Utilisation% 20Strategies %5CNetwork%5CWorking%20Group%203%20-%20Passenger %20Rolling%20Stock%20 and%20Depots
	(b) Life extension and withdrawal of rolling stock will depend on a number of factors and will form part of the commercial negotiations between the owners of the rolling stock and the bidders for future franchises.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether recent changes in the value of the euro have affected the cost to the Government of the (a) Thameslink rolling stock and (b) Intercity Express programme; and whether the (i) Government and (ii) preferred bidder bears the risk on currency fluctuations in respect of each programme.

Theresa Villiers: Elements of each of the named rolling stock procurements are priced in foreign currencies. Up to the point of financial close the risk on currency fluctuations affecting the cost of the transactions lies with the Department.
	The Department performs sensitivity analysis of exchange rate movements and their repercussions on contract awards on an ongoing basis. This is to understand the likely risk of cost changes to the Government.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which rail franchises she proposes that carriages to be procured under the Intercity Express programme will be deployed.

Theresa Villiers: Trains to be procured under the Intercity Express programme will initially be deployed on the Greater Western and Intercity East Coast franchises.

Shipping: Accidents

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the projected change is in the number of investigators at the Marine Accident Investigation Branch over the period of the current spending review. [Official Report, 3 November 2011, Vol. 534, c. 5MC.]

Michael Penning: holding answer 24 October 2011
	Under plans to reduce its costs in line with the outcome of the October 2010 spending review, the number of MAIB investigators will be reduced from 21 to 16.

SS Gairsoppa: Salvage

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many companies bid for the contract to salvage precious metal from the SS Gairsoppa;
	(2)  how her Department intends to monitor the recovery of silver from the SS Gairsoppa.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport (DfT) ran a competitive tender for the salvage of the SS Gairsoppa in 2009. Three salvage companies had shown an interest in making recoveries and were subsequently invited to tender. Following an assessment of the bids, Odyssey Marine Exploration was awarded the salvage contract as it offered the best rate of return to HMG.
	DfT's standard salvage agreement/contract requires the contractor to allow the Department's representatives on board during a salvage operation, to monitor any recoveries and to nominate which port the salvage vessel will use to discharge the recovered items, which may be placed in a secure site and subject to further inspection by officials.

Thameslink: Rolling Stock

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice she (a) requested and (b) received from officials on mitigating UK job losses in the event that the Thameslink Rolling Stock contract was not awarded to Bombardier Transportation between May 2010 and June 2010.

Theresa Villiers: Following the decision to establish Siemens plc and XL Trains as preferred bidder the previous Secretary of State for Transport received general handling advice, including an assessment of the possible impacts on employment associated with this decision.
	The previous Secretary of State was made aware that under the previous Government's procurement approach there was no requirement for a bid to create UK jobs in the evaluation criteria contained within the ITT at the outset. This position was known to all bidders and was clear from the ITT which was published at the time.

Thameslink: Contracts

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which dates she has met with representatives of Bombardier since her appointment; and whether (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department plan to meet Bombardier to discuss the future of the company in the UK.

Theresa Villiers: All ministerial diary commitments are published on the Department for Transport's website. Ministers from the Department for Transport have no current appointments with Bombardier in our diaries to discuss this matter, though the Secretary of State for Transport has recently spoken to the president of Bombardier. I look forward to future engagement and discussion with Bombardier on various issues.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Atos Healthcare on the suitability of its IT system for the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: The Logic integrated Medical Assessment (LiMA) is a software tool used by Atos Healthcare which supports health care professionals in carrying out assessments and providing reports to the Department. Health care practitioners remain in total control of the process and are fully responsible for the final report including justifying their advice in free text.
	We have asked Professor Harrington to look at the LiMA system in detail. He will publish his findings, including any recommendations to improve the system, as part of his second independent review. This is due to be published before the end of the year.

Crime: Disability

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to tackle disability hate crimes.

Maria Miller: Hate crime, including that targeting a person's perceived disability, is an issue the Government take very seriously. We are already in the process of developing a new action plan to tackle all forms of hate crime. It will take account of the recommendations in the newly published Equality and Human Rights Commission's report ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’.
	We are working closely with Ministry of Justice, Home Office, other Government Departments, disabled people and other stakeholders. Key to tackling disability hate crime is raising awareness of the problem. We are working with Radar to develop guidance.
	ACPO's True Vision hate crime website was launched earlier this year, to provide an alternative to reporting directly to the police. Other work under way includes considering ways to encourage greater third party reporting, and promoting good practice in responding to hate crime at the local level.
	For the first time police forces have been formally collecting data on hate crime against disabled people since April 2011. ACPO recorded hate crime figures, from regional forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland during the calendar year 2010, show an increase in reported hate crime from 1,294 in 2009 to 1,569 in 2010.

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what definition of domestic violence his Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect of particular services and processes for which his Department is responsible.

Maria Miller: The Department uses as a basis the current cross Government definition
	“any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse, psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional, between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality”.
	Definitions used by DWP are targeted to deliver policy objectives which ensure inclusion for victims. For example, the proposed new 13 week easement for certain victims of domestic violence from the requirements to be available and to be actively seeking work, will be based on the cross-Government definition. There are some differences—for example, it will specify family members to which the definition extends. It will not specify that the claimant must have been in an intimate relationship with their partner or former partner, but will include abuse by other members of the victim's and abuser's families.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had within his Department about stopping the assessment rate of employment and support allowance for claimants appealing against a decision.

Chris Grayling: We constantly review the benefit system to ensure that it is as efficient as possible. We are in the process of considering appeals—as a consequence of the provisions in the Welfare Reform Bill, including universal credit and the requirement to undertake a reconsideration before appealing. However, no decisions have yet been made.

Incapacity Benefit: Correspondence

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many letters were sent by his Department to incapacity benefit claimants informing them that their reassessment was about to commence in each week from the beginning of February 2011 to date.

Chris Grayling: We have no publicly available data on the number of letters to incapacity benefit claimants informing them that their reassessment was about to commence in each week from the beginning of February 2011 to date.

Incapacity Benefit: Correspondence

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the current average wait time is between an incapacity benefit claimant receiving a letter informing them of their impending assessment and that claimant attending a work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: The average waiting time between an incapacity benefit customer receiving a letter informing them of their impending assessment and that claimant attending a work capability assessment is not collected by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Industrial Health and Safety: Roads

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what occasions the Health and Safety Executive has taken a highways authority to court on the grounds that its work departed from national standards and was construed as the local authority failing in its mandatory duty of care to road users in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: Between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2011, no prosecutions have been taken by HSE against a highways authority in respect of any legal duty owed to road users imposed by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 or any other relevant statutory provision within its field of responsibility.

Job Creation

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobs in the creative industries were created and supported through the Future Jobs Fund in each local authority area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to uprate (a) pensions and (b) other benefits in line with September's consumer prices index.

Steve Webb: Next year's proposed benefit rates will be announced to Parliament by ministerial statement later in the autumn.

Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of uprating for 2012-13 (a) pensions and (b) all other benefits in line with (i) September's consumer prices index and (ii) the OBR's March forecast for the consumer prices index.

Steve Webb: The information requested is provided in the following tables for pensions and all other benefits paid by the Department for Work and Pensions.
	These costs are indicative only. Actual costs will be dependent on increases in benefit rates in April 2012. Proposed benefit rates will be announced to Parliament by ministerial statement later in the autumn.
	
		
			 (i)  Cost of up rating for 2012-13 under September 2011 outturn CPI, 2011/12 prices 
			  £ billion 
			 Pension benefits 4.6 
			 All other benefits 2.1 
			 Source: DWP Forecasting Model. 
		
	
	
		
			 (ii) Cost of uprating for 2012-13, under March 2011 forecast CPI, 2011-12 prices 
			  £ billion 
			 Pension benefits 3.7 
			 All other benefits 1.8 
			 Notes: 1. The costing in part (i) is based on the September 2011 outturn CPI and May to July 2011 outturn average earnings for pension credit. 2. The costing in part (ii) is based on the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2011 quarter 3 CPI forecast, and 2011 quarter 2 average earnings forecast for pension credit, as published in the Budget Report March 2011. 3. ‘Pension benefits' include basic state pension uprated with the triple lock policy, additional pension and graduated retirement pension uprated by CPI and pension credit uprated by average earnings. 4. ‘All other benefits' refers to working age benefits including: income support, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit maternity allowances and statutory sick pay, and also housing benefits and disability benefits. All are uprated by CPI. Source: DWP Forecasting Model.

Retirement: Females

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from which budget the funds required to cover the £1 billion reduction in savings consequent upon the change in women's retirement age will be found.

Steve Webb: The estimated £1.1 billion in lost savings, as a result of the Government's change to the proposed state pension age timetable, will take place during 2019-20 and 2020-21. The Government have set out their spending plans up to 2014-15 in the 2010 spending review. Decisions on spending priorities beyond that will be taken in future spending reviews.

Social Security Benefits: Children

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from which budget he proposes that the £300 million additional funding for child care support which he announced on 7 October 2011 will come.

Maria Miller: The £300 million additional funding for child care support has been allocated from the existing £2 billion investment for universal credit, allocated in the spending review.

Speech Therapy

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the role of speech and language therapy in reducing unemployment and getting people back to work;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to tackle barriers to employment for people with speech, language and communication difficulties.

Chris Grayling: The Government provide the following support for those with speech, language and communications difficulties:
	directly through Jobcentre Plus the Government offer a personalised, flexible service that recognises individuals may have conditions or circumstances requiring different levels of support; disability employment advisers can also offer support for those in need of more specialist help.
	Work programme providers are free to decide what support to offer but the Department expects them to address these areas if they are a barrier to employment.
	Specialist disability programmes such as Work Choice, Access to Work, and Residential Training provide support to those with the most complex barriers to work.
	No specific assessment of the role of speech and language therapy in reducing unemployment has been undertaken. When an individual is participating in either the Work programme or Work Choice, appropriate support based on individual needs will be provided by prime contractors.
	An independent review of DWP employment support for disabled people specifically looked at Remploy, residential training colleges and the Access to Work programme. The Government's initial response and a separate public consultation was launched on 11 July 2011 The closing date for responses was 17 October 2011. The central theme of the review was welcomed by Government, that resources for supporting disabled people into employment should be focused on disabled people themselves rather than on specific institutions. However, no decisions will be made on the future of disability employment support until all responses to the consultation have been considered.
	Following its launch in October 2010, a comprehensive evaluation of Work Choice is being carried out, partly through in-house qualitative research with key stakeholders and partly through case studies carried out by an external research organisation—‘Inclusion’.
	A full independent evaluation of the Work programme has been commissioned for 2013. It will be led by the Institute for Employment Studies in Brighton.

Unemployment Benefits: Carers

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many registered carers receive unemployment benefits or income support.

Maria Miller: The figures for those registered carers who receive unemployment benefits or income support are provided as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Income support 263,400 
			 Jobseeker's allowance (income-based) 5,900 
			 Notes: 1. JSA (IB) figure has been uprated using 5% proportions against 100% WPLS totals and rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. IS figure is rounded to the nearest 10. 3. IS figure excludes residual MIG claimants. Sources: 1. Income support: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). 2. Jobseeker’s allowance (IB): Information Directorate, 5% samples.

Unemployment: Young People

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the development of sector-based work academies to reduce youth unemployment.

Chris Grayling: The Scottish Government have agreed in principle to roll out a sector-based work academy model in Scotland. The Department for Work and Pensions is now in discussion with Scottish Government officials on the detail of how this could be delivered and they have agreed to test two sector-based work academies in Scotland; one in East Ayrshire covering customer service and another in Edinburgh covering hospitality.

Universal Credit: Disability

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with disability charities on the proposed introduction of universal credit.

Maria Miller: My Department values the contribution that disability charities make to welfare reform. I meet regularly to discuss universal credit reforms with disability charities, and records of my meetings with external stakeholders are routinely published at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
	In addition, my officials are in regular discussion with disability organisations concerning the disability aspects of universal credit.

Work Capability Assessment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 October 2011, Official Report, column 358W, on work capability assessment: illnesses, when he expects the next review of the ESA50 questionnaire to take place; and if he will consider refining the ESA50 questionnaire to include a specific question about terminal illness to account for the circumstances where an individual with a terminal illness could receive an ESA50 questionnaire as part of that review.

Chris Grayling: We keep the ESA50 questionnaire under continuous review to ensure it captures the most relevant information to support decision makers in making accurate decisions. Following recommendations by Professor Harrington we have improved the ESA50 questionnaire, adding a ‘personal justification’ section (on page 3) that allows an individual to explain in their own words what their condition is and how it affects them if they wish.
	The vast majority of individuals with a terminal illness as defined by the legislation will be fast tracked to the support group and will not be sent an ESA50 questionnaire. On the rare occasions where an individual with a terminal illness is not fast tracked into the support group and they are sent an ESA50 questionnaire, we would expect the claimant to use the 'personal justification' section to draw attention to the fact that they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Tier 1 and Tier 2 subcontracts from the voluntary and community sectors (a) were named on bids for the Work programme at the initial round of bidding and (b) are currently contracted to provide services.

Chris Grayling: At the initial round of bidding DWP received 177 bids for the Work programme competition. 1,570 subcontractors were included in these bids from the voluntary and community sector. 40 of these bids were successful and there were 1,404 supply chain opportunities. DWP does not hold an exact comparison between initial bids and the current position. A recent stock take of the position regarding Tier 1 and Tier 2 Work programme supply chains found comparatively few changes with the voluntary sector maintaining the highest share at around 46%.

TREASURY

Banks: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has undertaken on (a) the extent of UK banks’ exposure to counterparty risk to European banks and (b) UK banks’ ability to withstand mark-to-market volatility in the markets.

Mark Hoban: Consolidated data on external claims of UK-owned monetary financial institutions, and of their branches and subsidiaries abroad, is available on the Bank of England website at:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/Bankstats/2011/Sep/TabC4.2.xls
	This includes UK banking groups’ direct exposures to the private sectors in European countries, as well as derivatives exposures, as of end June 2011.
	Individual bank exposures have also been published as part of European Banking Authority (EBA) and Financial Services Authority (FSA) exercises. The four UK banks that participated in the July EBA stress test exercise, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland, published details of their exposures to the EEA 30 countries (plus the US, Japan and the rest of the world by region). In addition, Co-operative Bank, Nationwide Building Society and Standard Chartered have also published details of their exposures to EEA sovereigns and financial institutions. These disclosures can be seen on the EBA website at:
	http://stress-test.eba.europa.eu/
	On 16 June 2011, the interim Financial Policy Committee (iFPC) recommended that the FSA compile data on the current sovereign and banking exposures of UK banks not subject to the European Banking Authority (EBA) stress tests to European economic area (EEA) countries. These disclosures can be seen at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Other_publications/Miscellaneous/2011/eea_exposure.shtml
	Although the UK financial sector is not immune to the events in the eurozone, the Financial Services Authority confirms that UK banks are well capitalised against mark to market volatility on trading books.

Beer: Exports

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much beer was exported to bonded warehouses in Europe in each of the last three years.

Chloe Smith: The total volume of beer exported from the UK to bonded warehouses in other EU countries was approximately 465 million litres in each of the last two years, information is unavailable for other years.

Crown Lands and Estates: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income has been received in respect of the marine land owned by the Crown Estate around Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how much such income has been allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Chloe Smith: The gross income from the Crown Estate's marine estate in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2006-07 0.6 
			 2007-08 0.7 
			 2008-09 0.8 
			 2009-10 0.8 
			 2010-11 0.9 
		
	
	Total net income surplus from the Crown Estate is passed directly to the Exchequer for the benefit of all UK citizens. In 2010-11 this amounted to £231 million.

Debts: Business

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with banks on underwriting or guaranteeing debts of businesses.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Debts: EU Countries

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of exposure of the UK banking system to (a) Italian, (b) Spanish, (c) Portuguese and (d) Irish sovereign debt.

Mark Hoban: Data on external claims of UK-owned monetary financial institutions, and of their branches and subsidiaries abroad, are available on the Bank of England website at:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/Bankstats/2011/Sep/TabC4.2.xls
	These data include UK banking groups' direct exposures to the entire public sectors in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy and France, as of end June 2011.

Advertising: Job Vacancies

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: Since May 2010, the Treasury has reduced its spending on advertising job vacancies externally to £38,702.
	An external recruitment freeze was put in place in May 2010 across the civil service and only business critical posts that could not be filled from within the civil service have been advertised externally.
	All requests to advertise externally have been referred for ministerial approval, and only those with this approval have been advertised.

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: Details of HM Treasury's senior officials' business expenses are published on our website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/senior_officials_expenses.htm
	This provides details of expense claims from April 2008 to September 2010. More recent data will be available in due course.

Equality Impact

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an equality impact assessment with the Autumn Statement.

Chloe Smith: The Autumn Statement is the response of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Economic and Fiscal Outlook which will be published by the Office for Budget Responsibility on 29 November.
	In line with its statutory obligations, the Government pays due regard to the impact of policy measures on groups with protected characteristics as part of the policy development process.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury does not hold information on the number of contracts awarded directly to either third sector organisations or to small, medium-sized or large businesses prior to January 2011. This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	HM Treasury does record data relating to whether a supplier is classified as a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), but does not distinguish between small or medium- sized organisations. HM Treasury does not record whether contracts are awarded to suppliers classified as third sector organisations.
	Since January 2011 it has been a mandatory requirement for Departments to advertise all new tenders and contracts over the value of £10,000 (excluding VAT) on Contracts Finder in line with Cabinet Office guidance.
	The number of HM Treasury contracts advertised and awarded each month on Contracts Finder since January 2011 to end September 2011 are shown in the following table. In some cases, the value of the contract will be determined by usage.
	
		
			 Month (2011) Opportunities/tenders published Contracts awarded Value of contracts awarded (exc .  VAT) (£ million) Number of contracts awarded to SMEs 
			 January 2 0 0 0 
			 February 3 4 1.4 0 
			 March 1 1 0. 0 
			 April 2 2 0.845 0 
			 May 2 1 0 0 
			 June 1 0 0 0 
			 July 0 2 0.129 0 
			 August 2 4 0.385 0 
			 September 0 2 9.3 0 
			 Total 13 16 12.096 0

Energy: Prices

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures his Department is taking to assist families adversely affected by trends in energy prices.

Chloe Smith: The Government are taking a range of steps to assist households affected by rising energy prices, including fiscal measures.
	The Energy Consumer Summit held on 17 October 2011 agreed a range of steps that Government, energy suppliers and the regulator Ofgem will take to help consumers by clarifying bills, facilitating switching supplier and increasing uptake of insulation to help consumers save money on their gas and electricity bills. The Government welcome Ofgem's proposals to simplify energy tariffs and standardise price information.
	The new Warm Home Discount will this year require energy suppliers to provide £250 million of rebates and other assistance to around 2 million households vulnerable to fuel poverty, including automatic discounts of £120 off energy bills this winter to about 600,000 of the poorest pensioners. Over 9 million pensioner households will receive the winter fuel payment of £200 (£300 for households with someone over 80). The cold weather payment has been permanently increased from £8.50 to £25. In addition, domestic energy remains subject to the reduced 5% VAT rate.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Alistair Darling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much on average has been paid to each Equitable Life policy holder through the compensation scheme; what the highest award paid was; and how many payments have been made by the scheme since its inception.

Mark Hoban: The scheme began making payments as planned on the 30 June this year and close to 1,000 payments to individual policyholders have been made to date. Payment volumes will continue to be ramped up over the coming months as the scheme's complex payment processes are refined further.
	The Government set out at the spending review in October last year that £500 million was available to make payments to policyholders in 2011-12, £300 million in 2012-13.and £200 million in 2013-14. We are making good progress towards delivering these payments to policyholders.
	The average payment to date is £676 and the highest payment made so far is £17,416.18.

EU Grants and Loans

Denis MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what EU grants were available but not taken up by the Government since May 2010.

Mark Hoban: This information is not held centrally. Applications for EU grants are a matter for the individual Government Department concerned.

EU Grants and Loans

Denis MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in central Government spending on the allocation of EU funds to English regions.

Mark Hoban: The UK allocation of EU Structural Funds for the period 2007-13 was agreed in 2005 and as such is not affected by reductions in central Government expenditure.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of duty stamps on (a) beer and (b) spirits to prevent duty fraud.

Chloe Smith: HMRC publishes estimates of losses from duty fraud involving spirits and beer annually. The most recent estimate of the spirits tax gap was published in “Measuring Tax Gaps-2011” in September 2011.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps.htm
	This estimate indicates that since the introduction of duty stamps in 2006 the spirits illicit market has fallen from 6% (2005-06) to 3% (2009-10).
	My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the Government will explore potential legislative measures to tackle existing and emerging threats to alcohol duty receipts at Budget 2011. HMRC are currently consulting informally with the alcohol industry on potential anti-fraud measures, including exploring the potential to introduce a fiscal marking scheme for beer.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the types of alcohol which are particularly susceptible to duty fraud.

Chloe Smith: HMRC published estimates of losses from duty fraud involving spirits and beer in “Measuring Tax Gaps-2011” in September 2011.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps.htm
	Estimates of duty losses involving other types of alcoholic beverages are not available.

Government Departments: Procurement

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to employ a member of his Department's senior management team to work with officials in other Government Departments for the purpose of ensuring central Government procurement better supports domestic industry, UK skills, British manufacturing and domestic supply chains.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that growth is supported in all areas of UK Government policy.
	For procurement we are making sure that the procurement process is fast, swift and sure. This will help to make sure that excellent British firms win business.
	My officials are working with colleagues in BIS and HMT to see what more can be done.

Loans: Business

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with banks on potential incentives to increase lending to businesses.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Loans: Business

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Bank of England on potential incentives to increase bank lending to businesses.

Mark Hoban: HM Treasury is engaging with the Bank of England on credit easing as part of routine Government business. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

National Insurance Contributions

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of administering the systems of (a) employee and (b) employer national insurance contributions in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The HM Revenue and Customs annual report and accounts show that the total cost charged by HMRC to the National Insurance Fund to administer national insurance contributions in 2010-11 was £354 million. A breakdown of costs is not available.

National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses

Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has had discussions on making the national insurance holiday scheme for small businesses opt-out rather than opt-in.

David Gauke: To provide the support needed to new businesses as soon as possible, the current scheme was designed to be implemented quickly, with limited burden on businesses, software developers and HMRC and within the constraints of state aid and eligibility rules. This precluded the possibility that the scheme could be designed on an opt-out basis.

Revenue and Customs: Pensions

Margot James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of allowing all current employees of HM Revenue and Customs to opt-in to the pension terms and conditions agreed following the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise in 2005.

David Gauke: The Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme is a statutory occupational scheme, connected to employment in the civil service. It is a voluntary scheme that members can join at any time during their employment within the civil service.
	At the point when the former Inland Revenue merged with former Customs and Excise to become HM Revenue and Customs, individuals continued in the same pension scheme as they were in before the merger. There were no additional financial costs relating to pensions as a result of the merger.

Revenue and Customs: Pensions

Margot James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average annual gross pension allowance is for an employee of HM Revenue and Customs who (a) opted into and (b) opted out of the pension terms and conditions agreed following the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise in 2005.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information relating to the average value of pensions, so we are unable to provide this information.
	At the point when former Inland Revenue merged with former Customs and Excise to become HM Revenue and Customs in 2005, there were no changes to the pension scheme. Individuals continued in the same pension scheme, on the same terms as before the merger.

Social Security Benefits: Foreign Nationals

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount of (a) child benefit, (b) child tax credit and (c) working tax credit paid to non-UK citizens was in each year from 2004-05 to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The information requested is not available. Nationality is not a condition of entitlement to child benefit or the child and working tax credits.
	However, child benefit and tax credits are intended to provide support to families with children in the UK and to those in low-paid work here. As a result, eligibility for child benefit and tax credits depends on the claimants being present and ordinarily resident in the UK. In addition, child benefit and child tax credit claimants must also have a right to reside in the UK. Non-EEA nationals in the UK who are subject to immigration control are generally not entitled to child benefit or tax credits.

Winter Fuel Payments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the potential revenue yield from taxation of the winter fuel payment at 40 per cent. for higher rate taxpayers; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table provides estimates of how much would be paid in income tax on winter fuel payments at 40% for higher rate taxpayers if the payments were not exempt from taxation, assuming the 2011-12 payment rate of £200 for people aged 60 to 79 and £300 for people aged 80 or over. The figures are expressed in cash terms and rounded to the nearest £10 million.
	
		
			 Estimated reversion to Exchequer if winter fuel payments for higher rate taxpayers were subject to income tax, 
			  £ million (cash terms) 
			 2011-12 30 
			 2012-13 40 
			 2013-14 40 
			 2014-15 40 
			 2015-16 40 
		
	
	The estimates are based on Department for Work and Pensions expenditure forecasts combined with information on the tax paid by older people from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs Survey of Personal Incomes.

EDUCATION

Academies

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools with attached nurseries have converted to academy status since May 2010; and how many such schools have set up an independent company to run their nursery following conversion to academy status.

Nick Gibb: This information is not collected by the Department.

Academies

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools have converted to academy status in (a) Kettering constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England.

Nick Gibb: As of 1 October 2011, three schools in the Kettering constituency have converted to academy status, 11 have converted in Northamptonshire and 1,031 schools have converted in England.
	Full details of schools that have converted to academy status can be found on the Department for Education Academies website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/types ofschools/academies/b0069811/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development

Academies

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in Dartford constituency (a) had applied and (b) were in the process of applying for academy status on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: As of 13 October 2011, eight schools in the Dartford constituency have applied to convert to academy status. Three of those schools have already converted and a further five are in the process of converting.
	Two schools are in the process of becoming sponsored academies.
	Full details of schools that have formally applied for academy status, as well as a list of academies that have opened in the academic year 2010-11 can be found on the Department for Education academies website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/types ofschools/academies/a0069811/schools-submitting-applications-and-academies-that-have-opened-in-201011

Academies

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many special schools have become academies under the Academies Act 2010.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 October 2011
	As of 1 October 2011, 14 special schools in England have converted to academy status.
	Full details of schools that have converted to academy status, including special schools, can be found on the Department for Education academies website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/academies/b0069811/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development

Academies: Primary Education

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what criteria he plans to use in determining whether to convert primary schools to academy status; what account he takes of the special needs of pupils when assessing the performance of primary schools; and if he will list those primary schools he intends to designate with academy status.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 October 2011
	Primary schools are considered for conversion to academy status following an application being submitted to the Department by the school. The following criteria are taken into account in determining whether to approve an application to convert to an academy:
	The school's last three years exam results and the general performance trend.
	Comparisons, both locally and nationally, with exam performance in similar schools i.e. the percentage of pupils making expected progress in English and Maths with KS2 for primary schools, and KS2-4 in secondary schools. We will be looking at whether the results are above, or moving rapidly towards, the national averages in attainment and progression.
	The last Ofsted inspections, taking particular notice of the school's capacity to improve; its outcomes; and effectiveness of the leadership team.
	Any other evidence of a school's performance which a school considers to be significant.
	Consideration is also taken of the school's financial position, the school's plans to support improvement in weaker schools, and whether the necessary legal requirements have been met. Less strongly performing schools may still be considered for conversion to academy status provided they convert in an appropriate chain arrangement with a high performing school or sponsor.
	In determining the school’s performance my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education may also consider contextual factors such as the pupils on the school roll with special educational needs and Ofsted judgments over the quality of education for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress.
	A list is available on the Department's website of all primary schools that have applied to convert to academy status, including a list of those applications that have been approved. The website also lists those primary schools that have become sponsored academies.
	www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/academies/b0069811/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development

Departmental Correspondence

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has received representations concerning (a) the Big Society Bank, (b) the Work programme and (c) volunteering since June 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: As far as I am aware, the Department has not received any formal representations concerning the Big Society Bank since June 2011. However, we welcome the creation of Big Society Capital (formerly known as the Big Society Bank) which will provide new investment for voluntary organisations and support them to deliver vital services for children, young people and families.
	Responsibility for the new Work programme falls to the Department for Work and Pensions and as far as I am aware, no formal representations about this programme have been made to the Department for Education. However, Government Departments are working closely together to widen opportunities available to young people aged 16 to 24 to maximise their participation in education, employment and training. We are committed to supporting all 16- and 17-year-olds to participate in education or training, and to raising the participation age to 18 by 2015.
	I can confirm that the Department has received a number of written responses since June 2011 relating to volunteering as part of a wide-ranging consultation on a new cross-Government statement on youth policy. These are being reviewed to inform the final statement which will be published, together with a summary of responses, later this year.

Discretionary Learner Support Fund: Birmingham

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the number of residents in Birmingham, Ladywood who are likely to make use of the Discretionary Learner Fund; and how many residents claimed the education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance and the 16-19 bursary fund for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Free School Meals

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children receive free school meals in each (a) free school and (b) local authority area where a free school has been established.

Nick Gibb: There are 24 free schools, in 21 local authorities, which opened since September 2011. The Department does not currently hold free school meal information for pupils in these; this is being collected as part of the autumn term school census. A table will be placed in the House Library when available; this is likely to be early in the new year.
	The available information on the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in local authorities where a free school has been established is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 Maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools and pupil referral units (1, 2, 3, 4) : number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (5, 6, 7) , local authorities with a free school, January 2011, England 
			    Maintained nursery and state-funded primary schools (1, 2) State-funded secondary schools (1, 3) 
			     Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school means  Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school means 
			 LA code LA number  Number on roll (5, 6) Number (5, 6) Percentage Number on roll (5, 6) Number (5, 6) Percentage 
			   England 3,873,175 743,255 19.2 2,837,825 450,275 15.9 
		
	
	
		
			 E09000003 302 Barnet 25,390 5,489 21.6 17,154 3,214 18.7 
			 E08000025 330 Birmingham 99,050 34,202 34.5 61,491 20,923 34.0 
			 E08000032 380 Bradford 48,392 11,166 23.1 28,741 6,697 23.3 
			 E06000023 801 Bristol, City of 28,855 7,362 25.5 15,445 3,601 23.3 
			 E09000007 202 Camden 11,504 4,688 40.8 7,268 2,718 37.4 
			 E06000049 895 Cheshire East 26,054 3,070 11.8 18,779 1,755 9.3 
			 E09000010 308 Enfield 27,225 8,309 30.5 18,534 4,845 26.1 
			 E09000013 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 10,131 4,079 40.3 5,657 1,922 34.0 
			 E09000014 309 Haringey 20,396 6,473 31.7 10,882 4,084 37.5 
			 E10000017 888 Lancashire 87,164 14,773 16.9 63,955 8,643 13.5 
			 E06000016 856 Leicester 25,711 6,592 25.6 17,060 4,066 23.8 
			 E06000032 821 Luton 19,113 4,485 23.5 12,185 2,625 21.5 
			 E10000020 926 Norfolk 55,932 8,946 16.0 43,397 5,131 11.8 
			 E06000038 870 Reading 10,096 2,173 21.5 5,260 954 18.1 
			 E09000026 317 Redbridge 24,140 4,847 20.1 16,635 3,193 19.2 
			 E06000039 871 Slough 12,125 2,277 18.8 8,209 1,228 15.0 
			 E10000029 935 Suffolk 41,952 5,612 13.4 44,207 4,423 10.0 
			 E09000030 211 Tower Hamlets 23,243 11,052 47.5 12,768 7,258 56.8 
			 E10000031 937 Warwickshire 38,781 4,899 12.6 29,299 2,615 8.9 
			 E10000032 938 West Sussex 56,397 4,935 8.8 40,111 2,864 7.1 
			 E09000033 213 Westminster 11,076 4,279 38.6 7,500 3,179 42.4 
		
	
	
		
			    Special schools (4) Pupil referral units 
			     Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school means  Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school means 
			 LA code LA number  Number on roll (5, 6) Number (5, 6) Percentage Number on roll (5, 6) Number (5, 6) Percentage 
			   England 79,030 28,830 36.5 13,725 4,745 34.6 
			          
			 E09000003 302 Barnet 275 114 41.5 72 25 34.7 
			 E08000025 330 Birmingham 2,854 1,388 48.6 324 185 57.1 
			 E08000032 380 Bradford 541 185 34.2 289 149 51.6 
			 E06000023 801 Bristol, City of 668 303 45.4 102 32 31.4 
			 E09000007 202 Camden 262 156 59.5 44 26 59.1 
			 E06000049 895 Cheshire East 230 69 30.0 n/a n/a n/a 
			 E09000010 308 Enfield 389 167 42.9 84 (8)— (8)— 
			 E09000013 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 335 185 55.2 127 109 85.8 
			 E09000014 309 Haringey 410 187 45.6 106 25 23.6 
			 E10000017 888 Lancashire 1,960 793 40.5 313 131 41.9 
			 E06000016 856 Leicester 627 274 43.7 18 9 50.0 
			 E06000032 821 Luton 267 82 30.7 27 8 29.6 
			 E10000020 926 Norfolk 943 316 33.5 254 77 30.3 
			 E06000038 870 Reading 163 92 56.4 82 26 31.7 
			 E09000026 317 Redbridge 409 146 35.7 77 35 45.5 
			 E06000039 871 Slough 246 110 44.7 70 15 21.4 
			 E10000029 935 Suffolk 760 240 31.6 138 41 29.7 
			 E09000030 211 Tower Hamlets 295 219 74.2 142 132 93.0 
			 E10000031 937 Warwickshire 867 239 27.6 117 33 28.2 
			 E10000032 938 West Sussex 1,329 295 22.2 117 25 21.4 
			 E09000033 213 Westminster 112 50 44.6 58 26 44.8 
		
	
	
		
			    Total (7) 
			     Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school means 
			 LA code LA number  Number on roll (5, 6) Number (5, 6) Percentage 
			   England 6,803,790 1,227,110 18.0 
			       
			 E09000003 302 Barnet 42,890 8,840 20.6 
			 E08000025 330 Birmingham 163,720 56,700 34.6 
			 E08000032 380 Bradford 77,965 18,195 23.3 
			 E06000023 801 Bristol, City of 45,070 11,300 25.1 
			 E09000007 202 Camden 19,080 7,590 39.8 
			 E06000049 895 Cheshire East 45,065 4,895 10.9 
			 E09000010 308 Enfield 46,230 13,320 28.8 
			 E09000013 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 16,250 6,295 38.7 
			 E09000014 309 Haringey 31,795 10,770 33.9 
			 E10000017 888 Lancashire 153,390 24,340 15.9 
			 E06000016 856 Leicester 43,415 10,940 25.2 
			 E06000032 821 Luton 31,590 7,200 22.8 
			 E10000020 926 Norfolk 100,525 14,470 14.4 
			 E06000038 870 Reading 15,600 3,245 20.8 
			 E09000026 317 Redbridge 41,260 8,220 19.9 
			 E06000039 871 Slough 20,650 3,630 17.6 
			 E10000029 935 Suffolk 87,055 10,315 11.8 
			 E09000030 211 Tower Hamlets 36,450 18,660 51.2 
			 E10000031 937 Warwickshire 69,065 7,785 11.3 
			 E10000032 938 West Sussex 97,955 8,120 8.3 
			 E09000033 213 Westminster 18,745 7,535 40.2 
			 n/a = Not applicable. No schools of this type. (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. In pupil referral units also includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (6) Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (7) Includes maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, special schools and pupil referral units. Excludes pupils in alternative provision, other than pupil referral units. (8) One or two pupils or a percentage based on one or two pupils. Note: Total numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: School census.

Free School Meals

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children (a) eligible and (b) not eligible for free school meals achieved five GCSEs at A* to C in (i) academies and (ii) maintained schools in 2010.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 October 2011
	The information requested can be found in the following table:
	
		
			 Number and percentage of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent (1)  by free school meal (FSM) eligibility and school type (2) , 2009/10 
			   Total number of pupils Number of pupils achieving 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent Percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent 
			 Academies Eligible for FSM 7,723 5,253 68.0 
			  All other pupils(3) 24,008 18,990 79.1 
			  All 31,731 24,243 76.4 
			      
			 All other maintained schools Eligible for FSM 69,598 40,038 57.5 
			  All other pupils(3) 476,730 375,764 78.8 
			  All 546,328 415,802 76.1 
			      
			 All maintained schools(2) Eligible for FSM 77,321 45,291 58.6 
			  All other pupils(3) 500,738 394,754 78.8 
		
	
	
		
			  All 578,059 440,045 76.1 
			 (1) In 2010 iGCSEs, accredited at time of publication, have been counted as GCSE equivalents and also as English and mathematics GCSEs. (2) Includes all maintained schools, including CTCs and academies. (3) Includes pupils not eligible for FSM and for whom FSM eligibility could not be determined. Source: National Pupil Database: Final data

Free Schools: Finance

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much of the education budget is allocated to free schools in 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 October 2011
	The budget allocation for free schools for 2011-12 has yet to be finalised and is dependent on developing and finalising the costs for the recently announced 55 new free schools and 13 new university technical colleges scheduled to open from September 2012, as well as finalising the costs of the alternative provision free schools, special free schools and studio schools that will be approved later this year.

Grammar Schools

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were admitted to grammar schools in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Dartford constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of pupils aged 11 in grammar schools, 2007-11 (1, 2) 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 Dartford parliamentary constituency 520 570 590 560 570 
			 Kent local authority 4,400 4,500 4,700 4,600 4,600 
			 England 21,800 21,800 22,000 22,000 21,900 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 if under 1,000, and to the nearest 100 if over 1,000. (2) Includes maintained mainstream schools only. Source: School census.

Schools: Admissions

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost per pupil of providing places in (a) free schools, (b) academies and (c) local authority run schools in (i) London and (ii) England in the academic year 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 19 October 2011
	Local authority maintained schools are funded on a financial year basis and their budgets are set locally on a formula determined by local authorities in consultation with schools forums. For 2011-12 financial year basis, the average budget share per pupil in (i) London is £5,505 and (ii) for England is £4,667. These figures are taken from local authority section 251 Budget Statements for 2011-12 and include local authority maintained schools at the time the statements were completed by local authorities.
	Academies are funded on an academic year basis by the Young People's Learning Agency according to the same local funding formula as maintained schools. This ensures funding equivalence with maintained schools in the local authority. Free schools are funded using a model designed to provide per pupil funding equivalent to maintained schools in the same local authority area. For the 2011/12 academic year, the average funding per pupil for academies in (i) London is £6,320 and (ii) for England is £5,483. The funding per pupil for free schools in (i) London is £6,507 and (ii) England is £5,092.
	The inclusion of LACSEG and post-16 funding means that per pupil figures for academies and free schools are not directly comparable with the budget share per pupil figures for local maintained schools above. Academies and free schools both receive the Local Authority Central Services Equivalent Grant (LACSEG), to reflect the additional responsibilities they undertake that were previously the responsibility of their local authority. Funding for academies and free schools also includes funding for post-16 pupils, where relevant.

Schools: Admissions

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of places at maintained secondary schools in each local authority area are at (a) non-denominational schools, (b) Church of England schools, (c) Catholic schools, (d) other Christian denomination schools, (e) Jewish schools, (f) Muslim schools and (g) other denominational or faith schools.

Nick Gibb: Information showing the number and percentage of pupils in state-funded secondary schools by religious character of their school has been placed in the House Libraries.

Schools: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many children in Bassetlaw will be taught in upstairs classrooms after the allocation of priority schools funding; and what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) health and safety and (b) children with disabilities of the use of upstairs classrooms;
	(2)  how many schools in Bassetlaw will not receive funding to replace coal-fired boilers under priority schools funding.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 October 2011
	Applications to the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) are currently being assessed and we expect to announce those projects that will go forward later in the year. The programme aims to address school buildings in the very worst condition. It is not a priority to provide single storey buildings or to replace coal-fired boilers through the programme.
	There are no health and safety implications of building a school of more than one storey that cannot be overcome easily; and there is no reason why children with disabilities should be adversely affected by the provision of upstairs classrooms, where these are provided as part of PSBP. Any new building work has to comply with the building regulations which deal with the health, safety and welfare of people in and around buildings. Any new building work has to comply with part M of the Building Regulations (Access to and use of buildings). Schools also have to comply with the Equalities Act 2010, which sets out that people cannot be discriminated against, including because of their disability.

Schools: Inspections

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of Ofsted's policy on the timing and cycle of inspection visits; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Department is committed to working with Ofsted to reform inspection across Ofsted's remit. Our aim is to make inspection arrangements more proportionate and targeted at those in most need of improvement. In relation to schools for example, we intend that outstanding institutions should be subject to full inspection only where there is a decline in performance, and that Ofsted should target visits at schools that are inadequate or satisfactory.

Teach First Programme

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Teach First programme will operate in university technical colleges.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 October 2011
	Teach First is an independent charity with a mission to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields. Teach First places participants in schools in areas with the greatest deprivation, or with low attainment at GCSE. Teach First would consider partnering with a university technical college that meets these criteria. All placements must enable participants to gain qualified teacher status, and provide a supportive environment.

Young People: Disability

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to encourage (a) statutory agencies and (b) post-16 providers to work together to ensure disabled young people are supported they need to access the further education course of their choice; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 October 2011
	The Government put forward proposals to strengthen links and co-operation between those who plan, deliver and support further education and training for disabled students from age 16 in the Green Paper “Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability”, published on 9 March. Following this, the Green Paper pathfinders announced on 21 September will test the provision of strong partnerships between all local services and statutory agencies to ensure that disabled students are helped to access the educational choice and support they need.
	The Government will set out their plans for improving the support and outcomes of disabled young people and those with SEN by the end of the year, following analysis of the responses to the Green Paper.

Young People: Disability

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many learning difficulty assessments for disabled young people planning to attend further education were carried out in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 October 2011
	Local authorities are responsible for arranging learning difficulty assessments. They have a duty to arrange an assessment for all young people who hold a statement of special educational need, if they are leaving school to undertake post-16 education or training. They also have the power to arrange an assessment for other young people aged 16-24 if they appear to the authority to have a learning difficulty.
	Local authorities hold their own records and the Department does not collect or hold data showing how many learning difficulty assessments have taken place.

CABINET OFFICE

Eggs

John Spellar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to ensure that all Government food and catering contracts require that all eggs be sourced from farms that meet the welfare of laying hens directive from January 2012.

James Paice: I have been asked to reply.
	We will be making necessary changes to the Government Buying Standards mandatory criteria to ensure eggs produced in conventional cages, in an illegal production system across the EU after 2012, should not be used in any form whether this is fresh, powdered or liquid.

Electoral Register

James Wharton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what records are kept of the number of Commonwealth citizens on the UK electoral register.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what records are kept of the number of Commonwealth citizens on the UK electoral register (77548).
	ONS does not hold specific data on the number of Commonwealth citizens registered to vote.

Government: Procurement

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will announce a date for the start of the Lean Procurement programme.

Francis Maude: holding answer 27 October 2011
	The Government are committed to making Government procurement quicker, cheaper and work differently for all concerned. The Lean Review conducted in late 2010 set out to uncover wasteful practices and examine how the procurement process could be accelerated. The report was published in February 2011 identifying significant potential to reduce turnaround time and costs in the way Government procure. Since then, the Cabinet Office has developed a new lean sourcing process embracing ‘lean' management practices. The new process is being tested on live procurement projects, with promising early results, and a pilot training course has been designed and run. Roll out across central Government is due to commence in early 2012.

Government: Procurement

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on the Lean Procurement programme.

Francis Maude: holding answer 27 October 2011
	I have discussed the Lean Procurement programme regularly with a variety of Cabinet colleagues, including the Deputy Prime Minister, as part of the Cabinet Committee process.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier was of each transaction undertaken by the Central Office of Information using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Francis Maude: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Emma Lochhead/Graham Hooper, dated 20 October 2011
	As Joint Chief Executives of the Central Office of Information (COI), we have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question 75821 regarding transactions made using the Government Procurement Card (GPC).
	The Central Office of Information (COI) uses the Government Procurement Card as it is an efficient way of processing low value transactions.
	This Government is committed to transparency and we believe the information regarding Government Procurement Cards for this financial year is the most relevant. Central Government Departments will be publishing any transactions over £500 on their websites, starting with 2011/2012 Quarter 1 (April – June) data at the end of October and then on a monthly basis.
	The cost work required to obtain, contextualise and report data for Central Office of Information from the last 3 years would exceed the cost limits of a Freedom of Information request or a Parliamentary question.

Industrial Disputes

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of days lost in the (a) private sector and (b) public sector through industrial action which has not been sanctioned by a trade union since May 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of days lost in the (a) private sector and (b) public sector through industrial action which has not been sanctioned by a trade union since May 2010.
	Monthly statistics on the number of labour disputes are available in table 20 of the Statistical Bulletin for Labour Market statistics at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	However, ONS does not collect information on whether a strike was sanctioned by a trade union or not.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many registered charities, co-operatives, social enterprises and other civil society organisations there were at the start of the financial year in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: Data are not available to provide an estimate of the number of civil society organisations in each of the last five years.
	Latest data from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations shows that in 2007-08 there were an estimated 900,000 civil society organisations in the UK. This includes 171,000 registered charities, 4,600 co-operatives and approximately 600,000 informal community groups.

HEALTH

Blood: Donors

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the sufficiency of levels of blood donation.

Anne Milton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) collects and supplies blood to hospitals in England and North Wales. Its overall stock target is around 45,000 to 55,000 units of blood, which is approximately seven days' stock. A regular supply of blood is vital because donated blood has a short shelf life—once it is outside the body, red cells last 35 days and platelets only seven days. There has been no shortage of blood for many years.
	NHSBT has an alert system in place to monitor and take action if supplies of any blood group are below the target levels. In addition, NHSBT runs appeals for donors to come forward at times of the year when they may be less likely to donate, for example during high profile sporting events such as the World Cup, or when bad weather makes it more difficult for donors to attend blood donation sessions.

Breast Cancer

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what involvement his Department has had in Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2011;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to raise awareness of breast cancer in males.

Paul Burstow: I attended a number of events organised by charities to raise awareness of breast cancer including Breast Cancer Campaign's ‘Wear It Pink’ on 8 September and Breast Cancer Care's secondary breast cancer awareness day on 13 October. A departmental official attended Breakthrough Breast Cancer's annual Westminster Fly-In reception on 17 October 2011.
	‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, published on 12 January 2011, committed over £450 million over the next four years to support earlier diagnosis of cancer. This money will fund increased general practitioner access to diagnostic tests; pay for more testing and treatment in secondary care; and support campaigns to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer.
	In 2010-11, we funded campaigns to raise awareness of common cancers including breast, bowel and lung cancers. In 2011-12, we are funding national, regional and local campaigns to raise awareness of breast cancer in women over 70s, bowel, lung, oesophagus and stomach and a generic campaign on blood in urine, which can be a marker for bladder and kidney cancers.
	In men, breast cancer is very rare. There are about 300 men diagnosed each year in the England, compared with over 40,000 cases of breast cancer in women.

Breast Cancer: Waiting Lists

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was between seeing a GP and a specialist for breast cancer patients in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Burstow: Statistics on average waiting times between an urgent referral for suspected breast cancer from the patient's own general practitioner (GP) to when they are first seen by a specialist are not collected centrally. Since December 2000, all patients that are referred urgently for suspected breast cancer by their GP could expect to be seen by a specialist within two weeks (14 days) of referral. Statistics showing overall performance are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/HospitalWaitingTimesandList Statistics/CancerWaitingTimes/index.htm
	The following table details the numbers of patients covered by this standard and the reported performance for England from the period Quarter 4 2008-09 to Quarter 1 2011-12.
	
		
			 Period Total seen Number of patients seen within 14 days Performance (percentage) 
			 2011-12    
			 Q1 52,305 50,728 97.0 
			 2010-11    
			 Q4 52,905 51,359 97.1 
			 Q3 49,572 48,308 97.5 
			 Q2 54,405 52,377 96.3 
			 Q1 52,020 50,193 96.5 
			 2009-10    
			 Q4 48,961 47,559 97.1 
			 Q3 47,289 45,863 97.0 
			 Q2 44,136 42,409 96.1 
			 Q1 44,749 42,648 95.3 
			 2008-09    
			 Q4 41,033 39,214 95.6 
		
	
	From 1 January 2009 onwards the definitions and methodology used to calculate these statistics are no longer directly comparable to those used previously. This change means that the national health service no longer adjusts the statistics for the two week wait to separate referrals after 24 hours or account for patient choice, where individuals elect to delay their appointment. Statistics for the period Q1 2001-02 to Q3 2008-09 are included as follows:
	
		
			 Period (where referral was received within 24 hours) Total seen Number of patients seen within 14 days Performance (percentage) 
			 2008-09    
			 Q3 40,417 40,372 99.9 
			 Q2 38,651 38,492 99.6 
			 Q1 41,424 41,349 99.8 
			 2007-08    
			 Q4 37,263 37,200 99.8 
			 Q3 38,197 38,169 99.9 
			 Q2 33,213 33,204 100.0 
			 Q1 33,694 33,680 . 100.0 
			 2006-07    
			 Q4 34,485 34,471 100.0 
			 Q3 36,682 36,669 100.0 
			 Q2 33,090 33,078 100.0 
			 Q1 34,725 34,710 100.0 
			 2005-06    
			 Q4 33,089 33,071 99.9 
			 Q3 33,441 33,424 99.9 
			 Q2 33,782 33,605 99.5 
			 Q1 35,607 35,436 99.5 
			 2004-05    
			 Q4 28,230 28,169 99.8 
			 Q3 32,990 32,944 99.9 
			 Q2 27,895 27,836 99.8 
			 Q1 30,416 30,287 99.6 
			 2003-04    
			 Q4 29,812 29,564 99.2 
			 Q3 32,785 32,197 98.2 
			 Q2 29,165 28,671 , 98.3 
			 Q1 26,537 26,072 98.2 
			 2002-03    
			 Q4 25,947 25,516 98.3 
			 Q3 27,939 27,572 98.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Q2 26,377 25,943 98.4 
			 Q1 24,560 23,954 97.5 
			 2001-02    
			 Q4 24,041 23,680 98.5 
			 Q3 25,050 24,356 97.2 
			 Q2 23,039 21,624 93.9 
			 Q1 21,918 21,001 95.8

Cannabis: Mental Illness

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research projects his Department is sponsoring into any relationship between high THC cannabis and psychosis; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: With funding from the Department, the Centre for Public Health and School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at Liverpool John Moores university produced a report summarising recent research evidence on the health harms of drugs, A Summary of the Health Harms of Drugs, which was published in August 2011.
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs published a report, “Cannabis: Classification and Public Health”, in May 2008. This found a probable but weak causal link between psychotic illness and cannabis use, but whether this would become stronger with the wider use of higher potency cannabis was uncertain.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Work which the MRC is currently supporting in this area includes:
	Professor G. Lewis, university of Bristol: The aetiology of psychosis high-risk mental states during adolescence in the ALSPAC cohort;
	Professor V. Curran, University college London: What determines an individual's vulnerability to the harmful effects of cannabis?; and
	Dr P. Morrison, Institute of Psychiatry: Cannabinoids in psychosis: Mechanisms and Therapeutics.
	Work is being carried out at the university of Bristol on the psychoactive properties of cannabis as part of the Severnside Alliance for Translational Research (SARTRE) collaboration.
	Further details of these projects can be found on the MRC's online research portfolio at:
	www.mrc.ac.uk/ResearchPortfolio/index.htm

Carers

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered carers in the UK are aged (a) 29 to 39, (b) 40 to 49, (c) 50 to 59, (d) 60 to 69, (e) 70 to 79 and (f) 80 and above.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not hold this information, as carers who support friends and family members are not required to register with local authorities.
	The 2001 census shows that in England and Wales, there were 5.2 million carers, one in 10 of the population.

Continuing Care

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are in receipt of NHS continuing care funding (a) by local authority area and (b) in total.

Paul Burstow: 53,466 people were in receipt of continuing health care in England at the end of June 2011.
	These data are not available by local authority area.

Dementia

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on dementia research in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of spending on such research in each of the next three financial years.

Paul Burstow: Dementia is a research priority for the Government. The Department's expenditure on dementia research increased from £12.7 million in 2009-10 to £18.6 million in 2010-11.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including dementia. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made. In all disease areas including dementia, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The Department does not therefore make estimates of future expenditure in specific disease areas.
	The NIHR has issued a themed call on dementia. In addition, four new NIHR biomedical research units in dementia will receive a total of £18 million over five years from April 2012.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Following the establishment of efficiency measures by the Efficiency and Reform Group within the Cabinet Office in 2010, the Department put in place arrangements to implement good practice and compliance with the requirements. This includes management of professional services that is applicable to consultancy and contingent labour requirements. Separate arrangements are in place on recruitment controls in the Department for staffing requirements.
	No staff are employed on full-time management consultancy contracts in the Department. According to our Business Management System, as at 30 September 2011, there were 114.4 full-time equivalent workers engaged as interim managers or specialist contractors.

Diabetes: Research

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on medical research on (a) type one diabetes and (b) type two diabetes in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Data for expenditure by the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) on diabetes research are currently not held centrally. The Department is increasing its routine monitoring of NIHR expenditure across all therapeutic areas. Data are being coded using the Health Research Classification System (HRCS) developed by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration. It is anticipated that data on NIHR spend in 2010-11 in the HRCS Health Categories will be available by December 2011.
	The NIHR Clinical Research Network currently has 211 studies in diabetes that are in set-up or recruiting patients. The breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			 Studies 
			 Type Number 
			 1 41 
			 2 93 
			 1 and 2 58 
			 Other diabetes-related 19

Dignitas

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department collects information on the number of people from the UK who travel to Dignitas in Switzerland who are (a) patients and (b) accompanying patients; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department does not collect this information.

Diseases: Older People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the risk of (a) heart disease, (b) kidney disease, (c) diabetes and (d) strokes to the elderly.

Simon Burns: Generally, the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and kidney disease increases with age. However, there are other fixed risk factors—sex, ethnicity and family history—common to these diseases. There are also important modifiable risk factors for all these diseases that are smoking, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and obesity. If these are managed appropriately, they will reduce the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and stroke.
	The NHS Health Check programme is a universal and systematic programme for people in England between the ages of 40-74 that assesses individuals' risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease and will support people to reduce or manage that risk through individually tailored advice and support. This programme has the potential to prevent 1,600 heart attacks and strokes a year and detect at least 20,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease earlier allowing individuals to be better managed and improve their quality of life.

General Practitioners

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the rights of (a) patients and (b) members of the public to know the place of work of a GP working for the NHS.

Simon Burns: Under the terms of their contracts, general practitioner practices are required to produce a practice leaflet, updated at least once a year, and made available to patients and prospective patients. This must include the full names and qualifications of the health care professionals performing services under the contract, and the address of each of the practices' premises.
	Details of the names and qualifications of general practitioners and other health care professional staff in practices, and addresses, are also available on the NHS Choices website.

General Practitioners: Pharmacy

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will maintain the agreement it reached with NHS Employers, the General Practitioners Committee and the Welsh Assembly Government in 2009 on the dispensing fee envelope in 2009 and adjust the fees due to be paid to dispensing doctors for 2011-12 under the terms of that agreement.

Simon Burns: We can confirm the Department is maintaining the agreement.
	Under that agreement explicit provision was made to refer to negotiators the setting of any new feescale envelope where the amount spent under the previous budget envelope varied by more than 1%.
	The amount spent on dispensing fees in 2010-11 was £160.1 million which was £8.6 million, or 5.1%, lower than the budget envelope of £168.7 million. As a result, the feescale calculation continues to be matter of ongoing discussion.
	Once the negotiations between the General Practitioners' Committee of the British Medical Association and NHS Employers have been concluded and Ministers have considered the outcome, an announcement will be made.

Health Education: Drugs

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the merits of (a) prevention and (b) harm reduction in the area of drug education; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: As part of the development of the Drugs Strategy, officials and analysts looked at published evaluations of drug education programmes, including those which are school based. We will continue to review our approach as further significant research is published.
	The Department for Education is undertaking an internal review of personal, social and health education (PSHE). The review will include identifying evidence based interventions that are proven to get good results in achieving the outcomes we want from PSHE. This will include interventions on drugs.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual (a) net and (b) gross payments made by the Government to other European economic area countries were under the European health insurance card scheme in (i) the latest year for which figures are available and (ii) each year since 1997.

Anne Milton: The following table provides available information of payments to and from member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The amounts relate to combined claims for temporary visitors (via European health insurance cards), workers temporarily posted abroad by their employer and referrals for treatment in other EEA countries. Due to the nature of the claims system between member states, it is not currently possible to disaggregate the data consistently for all member states by either type of claim or type of treatment.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Financial year Total paid by United Kingdom to other EEA member states Total paid by other EEA member states to UK 
			 2007-08 93,200,000 19,700,000 
			 2008-09 113,200,000 24,700,000 
			 2009-10 117,900,000 27,700,000 
			 2010-11 62,400,000 26,300,000 
			 Notes: 1. £ equivalent totals based on exchange rates at the time of the payment. 2. Totals are rounded to the nearest £100,000. 3. Comparable data for earlier years are not available.

Heart Diseases: Children

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Safe and Sustainable Review into children's heart surgery units in England to be completed.

Simon Burns: The review of children's congenital heart services is a clinically led national health service review, independent of Government.
	The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts responsible for the review expects to make a decision later this year. This is subject to the outcome of a judicial review brought by the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Trust.

Herbal Medicine: EU Law

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what powers the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has to ensure compliance with Directive 2004/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on traditional herbal medicinal products; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how long on average it takes the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to process a complaint against a herbal manufacturer for non-compliance with Directive 2004/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on traditional herbal medicinal products; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of herbal medicines on sale which have not been registered under the traditional herbal medicines registration scheme; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many complaints the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have received from manufacturers of herbal medicines on the enforcement of Directive 2004/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on traditional herbal medicinal products; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc) Regulations 1994 make it an offence to place a medicine on the market without the appropriate authorisation or to distribute such a product by way of wholesale dealing. Breaches of the regulations are a criminal offence and can be punished by up to two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Prior to the date of full implementation of Directive 2004/24/EC the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) wrote to 272 companies which it believed to be involved in the supply of herbal products in the United Kingdom. 132 replied saying that they marketed some 2,915 products under the section 12(2) exemption from licensing contained in the Medicines Act 1968. The Medicines Borderline Section of the MHRA is currently investigating nine companies complained about by the manufacturers of registered herbal medicines. The time taken to process a complaint will depend on the complexity of the case, the number of products involved and the response from the company concerned. Five other complaints have been investigated by the section and closed. The average time taken to process these was 19 days.

Hospital Wards

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many in-patients stayed in mixed-sex wards in (a) December 2010 and (b) August 2011.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information on the number of patients in mixed-sex wards.
	Information is collected on the number of patients whose care is in breach of guidance on mixed-sex sleeping arrangements, and this shows a fall from 11,802 breaches in December 2010 to 1,079 in September 2011. This is a reduction of more than 90% in just 10 months.
	By publishing regular and reliable data, bad performance has been highlighted and the number of breaches of the rules has been substantially reduced.

Hospital Wards

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that his Department's guidance on mixed sex wards is followed by NHS hospitals.

Simon Burns: The Government remain determined to end the indignity of patients staying in mixed-sex accommodation. This commitment can be found in “The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12”, which states:
	“All providers of NHS funded care are expected to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation except where it is in the overall best interest of the patient”.
	The latest figures show that breaches of the rules on mixed-sex accommodation have fallen from 11,802 to 1,079 in just 10 months. Despite this huge improvement, every unjustified breach is one too many. We will continue to publish regular and reliable data about how every hospital is performing and those hospitals that have still to tackle the problem will continue to face fines of £250 for every breach.

Influenza: Vaccination

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of seasonal influenza vaccine by the NHS to people diagnosed with myalgic encephalopathy.

Anne Milton: Myalgic encephalopathy (ME) is not a specific clinical risk group identified for influenza immunisation. ME is a poorly defined syndrome with a number of different characteristics in children and adults. As such, medical professionals are encouraged to consider individual patient circumstances for those diagnosed as having ME and use clinical judgment to take into account the risk of influenza exacerbating any underlying disease that any patient may have, as well as the risk of serious illness from influenza itself with vaccination offered in such cases.

Maternity Services: Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state (a) how much and (b) what proportion of spending by the NHS was spent on maternity care in 2010-11.

Anne Milton: In 2010-11, expenditure on the purchase of secondary healthcare relating to maternity services by primary care trusts was £2.532 billion. This represents approximately 2.6% of the total national health service revenue expenditure in 2010-11 of £98.894 billion.

Medical Records

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) guidelines and (b) regulations apply to access to medical records by mentally competent, dying patients.

Simon Burns: The Data Protection Act 1998 governs the rights of access to health records of the living. National health service organisations can chose to disclose information to individuals outside of the provisions of this Act, subject to confidentiality considerations.
	The Department published guidance in February 2010, titled “Guidance for Access to Health Record Requests”, to the NHS and public around access to health records. A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_112916

Medical Records: South West

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the performance of the transfer of patients records in (a) areas administered by NHS Shared Business Services, (b) Devon and (c) the South West.

Simon Burns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not made an assessment of the performance of the transfer of patients records in areas administered by NHS Shared Business Services, Devon and the South West.
	The South of England strategic health authority (formerly known as South West strategic health authority) would expect primary care trusts to performance manage their contracts and any assessment of performance would be carried out locally.

Muscular Dystrophy

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the amount spent by the NHS on unplanned emergency admissions to hospital for people with neuromuscular conditions in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Information on the cost of unplanned emergency admissions to hospital for people with neuromuscular conditions is not collected centrally.

NHS: Fees and Charges

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason form HC1 is not available to download in England.

Simon Burns: The NHS Low Income Scheme HC1 application form is available to order by phone or via the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website:
	www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/HealthCosts/1128.aspx
	and is provided with a pre-paid envelope. For reasons of processing efficiency and to give applicants the benefit of the prepaid envelope, a downloadable web version of the HC1 form has not been made available. The NHSBSA will continue to explore options to improve access to the application form.

Ovarian Cancer

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the detection and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Paul Burstow: In “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published on 12 January 2011, we have committed over £450 million over the next four years to support earlier diagnosis of cancer. This money will fund increased general practitioner (GP) access to diagnostic tests; pay for more testing and treatment in secondary care; and support campaigns to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer. One of the tests we are increasing access to is non-obstetric ultrasound to support the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. GPs will be able to access these tests directly in cases where the two-week urgent referral pathway is not appropriate but a patient's symptoms require further investigation. The intention is that more people presenting with relevant symptoms will be tested at an earlier stage.
	Early symptoms of ovarian cancer can include pain in the pelvis and lower stomach, persistent bloating and difficulty eating. However, they can be difficult to recognise, especially when the disease is at an early stage, as they are often the same as the symptoms of other, less serious conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome or pre-menstrual syndrome.
	In April this year, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a clinical guideline, the “Recognition and initial management of ovarian cancer”, which sets out recommendations for the detection of the disease in primary care. In addition to this, NICE is developing a Quality Standard for ovarian cancer which will set out what good ovarian cancer treatment and support looks like and will help support clinical commissioning groups when they take responsibility for commissioning ovarian cancer services. Detection of ovarian cancer in primary care will be considered when developing this standard.
	The strategy also sets out our commitment to work with a number of rarer cancer-focused charities to assess what more can be done to encourage appropriate referrals to secondary care and to diagnose rarer cancers earlier. Departmental officials have already met with a number of these charities, including an ovarian cancer charity, with the aim of identifying some of the barriers to early diagnosis and to discuss potential solutions. This will inform our future work in this area.
	We are also part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership to understand why there are differences in survival rates across a range of countries. Ovarian cancer is one the four cancers we are looking at as part of the study. This will help identify what more we should be doing to improve survival rates for ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess recent trends in the rates of detection and treatment of ovarian cancer in Huddersfield.

Paul Burstow: Data are not collected centrally about rates of detection or treatment of ovarian cancer. As such, the Department has made no assessment of associated trends in Huddersfield. It is for the national health service to decide locally how best to design and deliver appropriate services to meet the needs of local people.

Palliative Care

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of cases where life-sustaining treatment has been removed at the end of life in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Department has not undertaken any assessments of the number of cases where life-sustaining treatment has been removed at the end of life.

Patients: Death

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mortality rates were for each NHS trust in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the NHS Information Centre for health and social care has recently published information on an experimental risk adjusted mortality rate for national health service trusts (the Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator). This indicator was developed on behalf of the National Quality Board by a review group of experts from the NHS and from the commercial sector, and is intended to provide a more reliable assessment of relative mortality than previous measures. Individual trust data for the new indicator, covering the period April 2010 to March 2011, are available from the Information Centre website on:
	http://indicators.ic.nhs.uk/webview/index.jsp?v=2& submode=ddi&study=http%3A%2F%2Fhg-l-app-472.ic. green.net%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FP01106&mode= documentation&top=yes
	Information on this measure is not available for previous years.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 311W, on radiotherapy, whether he proposes that the commissioning of stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment will be undertaken by local clinical commissioning groups or by the NHS Commissioning Board.

Paul Burstow: No decisions have yet been taken on the future commissioning arrangements for stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment.

Ritalin

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the proportion of adults prescribed Ritalin or similar drugs who were recipients of such drugs as a child.

Simon Burns: Information on the number and age of people prescribed a medicine is not collected centrally.
	Ritalin is a branded version of the drug methylphenidate hydrochloride.
	The total number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England for methylphenidate hydrochloride (including Ritalin) in the calendar year 2010 was 661,463. Of these, 18,812 items were for Ritalin.
	Two other drugs are also licensed for use in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These are atomoxetine and dexamfetamine. In 2010, there were 93,414 prescription items of atomoxetine and 45,519 prescription items of dexamfetamine dispensed in the community in England.

Social Services

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to review the role of the Care Quality Commission as part of his forthcoming White Paper on Social Care.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took over as the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England on 1 April 2009. In line with the Government's commitment to review the burden of regulation, we are intending to carry out a review of the role of CQC and its regulatory framework within five years of its establishment.

Speech Therapy

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to maintain speech and language therapy services in (a) Wandsworth and (b) England;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) patient quality, (b) choice and (c) cost-effectiveness of a reduction in clinical leadership posts in speech and language therapy services;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to maintain the services provided by speech and language therapists in (a) schools and (b) primary care trusts following reductions in the budgets of local authorities;
	(4)  whether he has plans to produce national standards for speech and language therapy services across England to prevent geographical inequalities; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: There have been no assessments carried out centrally. It is for local national health service organisations to decide how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community, including the provision of speech and language therapy.
	Where NHS organisations are planning changes to their work force, they will need to demonstrate that their systems, processes and governance arrangements, including clinical leadership, are appropriate for assuring that the proposed service does not compromise the quality and safety of patient care.
	The Health and Social Care Bill provides the basis for better collaboration, partnership working and integration across local government and the NHS at all levels. The drivers of integration in the modernised NHS will be clinical commissioning groups and the NHS Commissioning Board. Both have new duties to promote integrated working by taking specific action to secure integration (where beneficial to patients). In addition, the Bill gives health and well-being boards a duty to encourage health and care commissioners to work together to advance the health and well-being of the people in its area.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) produces Quality Standards for England. NICE, jointly with the National Quality Board, recently ran an engagement exercise on the library of NICE Quality Standard NHS healthcare topics. As part of this, exercise a provisional list of topics that might form part of the overall library was published inviting comments. Although a quality standard on speech and language therapy was not included in this provisional list, the purpose of the engagement exercise was to canvass views on whether other topics should be included within the library. The engagement exercise closed on 14 October 2011. NICE is currently analysing the responses received and will be able to provide more information in due course. Once published, the library of topics will be reviewed at regular intervals allowing new topics to be added and quality standards in those areas to be included within NICE'S production schedule. Further information on the engagement exercise can be found at:
	www.nice.org.uk/getinvolved/currentniceconsultations/NQBEngagement.jsp

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to initiate an inquiry into the mortality rates at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

Simon Burns: There are no plans for the Department to investigate the level of mortality rates at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.
	Mortality rates alone do not provide a full picture of a hospital's performance or the standard of care given to patients. However, the Department expects any national health service trust with a high mortality rate to examine whether quality of care is a concern. The independent regulator, Care Quality Commission, uses a range of indicators, including mortality indicators, to monitor compliance with the essential standards of quality and safety and to identify any areas requiring further investigation.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess compliance by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with his Department's guidelines in its commissioning of vascular services.

Simon Burns: Decisions about the provision of national health services locally, including vascular services, are a matter for the local NHS. In December 2010, the Department issued a resource pack, for reference purposes only, to assist the NHS in reviewing vascular services in line with local needs. As such, no assessment will be undertaken by Ministers.
	We expect decisions on NHS service changes to meet new strengthened criteria. They must focus on improving patient outcomes, consider patient choice, have support from local commissioners and be based on sound clinical evidence.
	Commissioners in Cheshire and Merseyside will need to be assured that changes to vascular services meet these criteria.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Afghanistan: Security

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of security in Lashkar Gah since the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces.

Philip Hammond: I have been asked to respond.
	The security situation in Lashkar Gah is routinely assessed by UK forces and the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team. While the full implications of the transfer of security lead remain to be seen, initial assessments are positive. UK forces have reported that the Afghan forces are growing in confidence and keen to be in the lead. Their progress has been demonstrated by their professional responses to insurgent attacks, co-ordinating effectively with local emergency services.
	UK forces remain on stand-by to assist the Afghan national security forces in Lashkar Gah but there have not been any requests for our support since the start of Transition.

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what response he plans to make to the European Commission's consultation on the future of the ban on marketing of cosmetics tested on animals.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 27 October 2011
	No proposal has been received from the European Commission about the 2013 deadline for the full marketing ban. We do, however, expect a decision about a proposal by the end of the year.

Arms Trade: Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any export licences for components for (a) F-16s and (b) Apache helicopters for use by Israel have been granted since May 2010; and on what dates any such licences were granted.

Mark Prisk: No export licences of this type have been granted since May 2010.

Balance of Trade: EU countries

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the size of the UK trade deficit with the EU was in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: As published by the Office for National Statistics, the balance of trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union over the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			 UK's balance of trade in goods and services with the EU 
			  £ million 
			 2006 -29,616 
			 2007 -35,235 
			 2008 -28,582 
		
	
	
		
			 2009 -27,421 
			 2010 -35,534

Business

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has held with small and medium-sized enterprises on implementation of the Plan for Growth; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Ministers and officials regularly seek the views of small business stakeholders across a wide range of policy issues, including those areas covered in the Plan for Growth. For example, on 20 June 2011 the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), participated in a manufacturing summit in Burnley with manufacturing firms from across Lancashire. On 25 October 2011, I co-chaired the first meeting of the Green Construction Board to consider the growth opportunities presented by a sustainable construction and property sector. In August, the Department held a series of meetings with businesses on transforming regulatory enforcement which included small and medium-sized enterprises and their representative bodies. There has also been extensive engagement and communication with the small business community as part of the development of the second phase of the Growth Review which is due to report in November.

Construction Industry

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with representatives of the construction sector on recent trends in economic activity in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: As the Minister for Business and Enterprise, I, the Construction Sector Unit and the chief construction adviser meet regularly with a wide range of organisations across the construction sector. Discussions cover all of the opportunities and challenges facing the industry, including the current economic climate.

Construction Industry

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely levels of growth in the construction industry in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not forecast trends in construction output. We do monitor estimates of future growth that are produced by others, particularly Experian and the Construction Products Association (CPA).
	In its latest forecast, the CPA predicts that construction output will fall in 2011 by 1.1% and in 2012 by 3.6%. Growth is forecast to be flat (0.0%) in 2013, with the sector returning to growth of 3.7% in 2014, which will accelerate to 4.7% in 2015.
	Experian's autumn forecasts predict a shallower fall in output in 2011 and 2012 than its previous forecast, as publicly funded construction is holding up better than expected and infrastructure remains firm. Recovery is forecast in 2013, with 3.7% growth. Experian does not produce forecasts beyond 2013.

Construction Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to support the construction industry.

Mark Prisk: The Government are acting positively to support the construction industry through the growth review; including reforming the planning system, modernising public sector procurement and setting out a National Infrastructure Plan, which will unlock up to £200 billion of public and private investment.
	Earlier this month I co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the Green Construction Board along with Dan Labbad, chief executive of Lend Lease. This group will ensure that the Government and industry work together to seize the opportunities presented by a sustainable construction and property sector.
	In September it was announced that Whitehall will look at where we can speed up delivery of our infrastructure commitments. This involves going through the nation's capital spending plans to hand-pick up to 40 of the biggest infrastructure projects which will be given new special priority status.
	BIS is working closely with HM Treasury to take forward this initiative, at all times emphasising the importance of high quality infrastructure for business. Some specific areas include:
	Investment in infrastructure projects through the next round of the regional growth fund;
	Investing in low carbon infrastructure through the Green Investment Bank which will begin investing in 2012,
	Improving the UK's sales pitch to investors through Lord Green's work at UKTI,
	Supporting work to reform the planning system to support sustainable development,
	Working across Government to implement the Penfold review to simplify non-planning consents,
	Using the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) local network to provide feedback on projects seen as significant at a local level,
	Working with other Government Departments to implement the £500 million Growing Places fund announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, my right hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), on 18 September and proposals for Tax Incremental Finance.
	While BIS has no specific policies addressing access to finance for construction companies, it does have a range of applicable support for small and medium-sized enterprises, including the Regional Growth Fund, Enterprise Finance Guarantee, Export Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme, and continuation of the Government's Enterprise Capital Funds.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Currently no full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts.
	Consultants are engaged as required to carry out project work at a strategic and objective level in pursuit of the Department’s purposes and objectives. Such advice is contracted to be provided outside the “business-as-usual” environment when in-house skills are not available and is time-limited.
	The latest report shows we have 77 consultants within the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Further Education

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to maintain free remission on adult and further education courses for learners on all income-related benefits.

John Hayes: ‘Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth’, published in November 2010, set out where full Government funding would be focused for the 2011/12 academic year.
	Irrespective of their benefit status this included, for adults aged 19 and over, basic literacy and numeracy qualifications, foundation learning (entry and level 1) where they do not already hold a full level 2 qualification and first, full level 2 qualifications. Full Government funding will also be provided for learners aged 19 up to 25 where they are undertaking their first full level 3 qualification.
	As part of the Government's commitment to support unemployed people into work, we will also fully fund units and full qualifications for people in receipt of jobseekers' allowance and employment support allowance (in the Work Related Activity Group) depending on what they need to help them enter and stay in work.
	In line with the introduction of further freedoms and flexibilities, on 9 August my Department announced that further education (FE) colleges and training providers would be given local discretion to provide fully funded training for people on a wider range of benefits—provided that the training is to help them enter employment. We expect FE colleges and training organisations to work closely with local partners including Jobcentre Plus to ensure training offered to these learners meets local labour market needs.
	Adult FE and skills funding policy for the 2012/13 academic year will be confirmed later this year.

Further Education: Disability

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to improve support available for further education students with (a) disabilities and (b) learning difficulties.

John Hayes: ‘Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth’ (November, 2010) recognises the importance of access to further education and skills training for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
	From the 2011/12 academic year we have introduced a single adult skills budget. This provides further education colleges and other training organisations with the flexibility to offer a range and balance of programmes and support in the mode of delivery that will best meet the needs of students with disabilities and learning difficulties. Funding for additional learning support is also provided to colleges and other training organisations to help support the additional needs of disadvantaged learners, enabling them to participate fully in learning. The funding is intended to be flexible and support learners who have a range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Government: Procurement

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effects of off-shoring UK Government manufacturing contracts on (a) other UK-based businesses in the supply chain and (b) local economies; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: As stated by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), on 5 July, the Government are considering whether the UK is best applying the EU procurement rules and managing our procurements to maintain competitive UK supply chains to meet our strategic needs, cost-effectively, in the long term. This review has sought evidence from key suppliers of high value manufactured goods and complex infrastructure on:
	the impacts of the UK public procurement approach, and
	how the UK approach compares to that of other EU countries.
	Conclusions arising from this work will be published as part of the growth review, alongside the autumn statement.

Green Investment Bank

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  when he expects to bring forward legislative proposals to provide for the independence of the Green Investment Bank;
	(2)  what (a) legal and (b) regulatory requirements the Green Investment Bank will have to comply with;
	(3)  what steps he plans to take to oversee the state aid approval process for the Green Investment Bank;
	(4)  what mechanism he has put in place for the transition of financial interventions made by the Government during the incubation phase to the Green Investment Bank after it has been established.

Mark Prisk: The Green Investment Bank (GIB) will be subject to the same legal and regulatory requirements as any other bank. Legislation will enshrine the enduring and independent nature of the GIB and the GIB will be established as a Companies Act company, following best practice corporate governance.
	The UK's proposals for creating the GIB are subject to approval by the European Commission, which will examine whether the proposals are compatible with the provisions of the EU Treaty as it relates to state aid. The Government are in close engagement with the European Commission to obtain state aid approval for the GIB.
	In the period prior to obtaining state aid approval for a GIB, HMG will make appropriate financial interventions to promote the transition to a green economy. All such investments must be compatible with state aid law, meaning that any state aid involved must be within existing state aid exemptions or approvals. These assets will be transferred to the GIB to manage once state aid approval has been received.
	No final decision has been made on when to introduce legislation.

Green Investment Bank

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has appointed financial professionals to support the Green Investment Bank; and whether any such appointments were from Government departments.

Mark Prisk: Following competitive tendering processes, the Department has been supported by Deloitte, McKinsey and Company, and Slaughter and May to provide specialist advice on issues ranging from financial modelling of potential products to the legal and regulatory requirements to setting up the Green Investment Bank .
	The Department has also established an Advisory Group comprising experienced financial professionals to advise on the setting up of the institution. The group, chaired by Sir Adrian Montague, is advising Ministers on the establishment of the Green Investment Bank and its strategic direction.
	The nine members have a wide range of experience and capability in finance, from building and running institutions to project finance and making transactions. The group also includes expertise in green economics, sustainable and responsible financial services and development banking. The Chair and members are unpaid and provide their time on a voluntary basis.
	We are currently recruiting a team of transactors to supplement finance professional from HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Green Investment Bank

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish the business plan for the Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: The Department is currently developing the detailed business plan for the Green Investment Bank and will update the House in due course. A first report on investments made by the Green investment Bank is planned for May 2013.

Green Investment Bank

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Government's Advisory Group for the long-term direction of the Green Investment Bank will be established; and who will be appointed to the Group.

Mark Prisk: The Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Adrian Montague, was established in August and met for the first time on 6 September 2011. The nine members appointed to the Advisory Group are:
	Simon Brooks, UK Vice President, European Investment Bank
	John Burnham, Former Managing Director and Global Head of Infrastructure, Citigroup
	David Gregson, Chief Executive, Phoenix Equity Partners
	Melville Haggard, Managing Director, Quartermain Advisers Limited, former advisor to DEFRA
	Dima Rifai, Managing Partner, Paradigm Change Capital Partners LLP
	Penny Shepherd, Chief Executive, UKSIF (UK Sustainable Investment and Finance)
	James Smith, Former Chairman of Shell UK, now Chairman of the Carbon Trust
	Lord Stern of Brentford, Professor of Economics and Government, London School of Economics
	Bob Wigley, Chairman, Yell Group, former Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, Middle East and Africa and chaired the Green Investment Bank Commission which reported in July 2010.

Green Investment Bank

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when his Department plans to announce how the Green Investment Bank will support the initial stages of the green deal.

Mark Prisk: We have not reached any firm conclusions on whether the Green Investment Bank (GIB) ought to have a role in financing the green deal. As with other potential areas of the GIB mandate, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders on what role could potentially be appropriate for the GIB in the green deal. Some potential investors in the green deal have asked us to consider the potential for the GIB to support the financing of investment in domestic energy efficiency during the first stages of green deal delivery, alongside commercial investment.

Higher Education

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish (a) the responses received by individual organisations and (b) his response to the consultation on (i) teaching funding and student number controls by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and (ii) his Department's White Paper on Higher Education.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published a circular on 17 October which sets out how it would allocate new entrant places for 2012/13. This takes account of responses to its consultation on teaching funding and student number controls in areas such as protecting small and specialist institutions and strategically important and vulnerable subjects. In November, the council plans to publish a summary of all consultation responses and its proposals for allocating the teaching grant for 2012/13. Ministers will issue their instructions to the council on the latter in their grant letter to HEFCE by early 2012.
	The consultation on the Higher Education White Paper (Students at the Heart of the System) closed on 20 September. The Department will respond in due course. This response will include a summary of all consultation responses and a list of the respondents.

Workers' Educational Association

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) of the outcomes of his Department's Informal Adult and Community Learning consultation; and how his Department plans to promote the role and work of the WEA.

John Hayes: The BIS consultation on the future of Informal Adult and Community Learning (IACL) closed on 21 October 2011 and we are now analysing the responses. Our headline policy proposals for IACL will be announced within the wider further education reform strategy to be published in late autumn.
	As the UK's largest voluntary provider of adult education and one of the UK's biggest charities, with more than 500 local branches, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is a key delivery partner and stakeholder. WEA has expertise in reaching adults from all backgrounds, particularly those who have previously missed out on learning. We value their partnership and support and will continue to work closely with them to develop and implement our adult learning policies.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Teachers

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to contribute through (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral programmes to teacher training and support of an effective teacher workforce in (i) Mozambique and (ii) the Gambia.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) plans to contribute £18 million through bilateral programmes to education in Mozambique over the next four years (2011-12 to 2014-15). DFID also supports an effective teacher workforce by leading (on behalf of all bilateral and multilateral donors) the dialogue with the Ministry of Education on human resource issues.
	Of the main multilateral funders of education in Mozambique to which DFID contributes, the World Bank plans to provide US$ 71 million (£45 million) over the period 2011 to 2015 and the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) plans to provide US$ 90 million (£57 million) over the period 2011 to 2014. Together, these bilateral and multilateral contributions will, among other things, help train an additional 28,000 primary school teachers over the next four years.
	Following the Bilateral Aid Review, we are in the process of closing the UK's bilateral aid programme to the Gambia. We will continue to support development in the Gambia through our contributions to the multilateral development organisations, including the EU, World Bank and African Development Bank. The Gambia is one of the recipient countries for the FTI, to which the UK is the second largest donor, having committed over £300 million.

Argentina: International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has had discussions with his international counterparts on Argentina's refusal to comply with judgments by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Alan Duncan: No Ministers or officials from the Department for International Development have had any discussions with international counterparts on Argentina's refusal to comply with judgments by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Argentina: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's aid commitment is to Argentina across the comprehensive spending review period.

Andrew Mitchell: There is no Department for International Development (DFID) bilateral aid commitment to Argentina across the comprehensive spending review period.

Burma: Third Sector

Malcolm Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department funds to support civil society capacity building in Burma.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has recently approved an innovative new four-year programme of support to local civil society in Burma. This will help local organisations and individuals to work together to give an estimated 94,000 people a greater say in decisions affecting their lives. The programme—formally called the Burma Civil Society Strengthening Programme—will provide grants, mentoring and other support totalling £11 million to Burmese civil society organisations. It builds on the previous programme, which provided £4 million for civil society capacity building in Burma between 2008 and 2011.
	Further details of DFID's projects are available on the DFID website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Civil Service: Manpower

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants were (a) directly and (b) otherwise employed by non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) in 2000, (ii) in 2005, (iii) in 2007, (iv) in 2010 and (v) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development currently has two non-departmental public bodies, one of which has employed civil servants directly since May 2011:
	The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission has never had any civil servants either directly or otherwise employed.
	The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) was put in place as a shadow operation in October 2010 and became fully operational only in May 2011. ICAI currently has four civil servant employees.

Civil Service: Manpower

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants work in his Department; and how many worked in his Department in (a) 2000, (b) 2005, (c) 2007 and (d) 2010.

Stephen O'Brien: As at 31 August 2011 there were 1,584 civil servants working in the Department for International Development. The following table details the staffing numbers for the previous years requested.
	
		
			 Staff 
			  Number 
			 2000 1,876 
			 2005 1,928 
			 2007 1,765 
			 2010 1,619

Regulation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State for International Development only has powers to make secondary legislation by statutory instrument under the International Development Act 2002. Since that Act came into force on the 17 June 2002, the Secretary of State has made 26 statutory instruments under section 11 of the 2002 Act. Each of these instruments approves the making of a payment by the Secretary of State to a multilateral development bank. By year there were the following numbers of SI’s made:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 2 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 6 
			 2007 1 
			 2008 4 
			 2009 2 
			 2010 1 
			 2011 (1)6 
			 (1) Up to the present date

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has any plans to provide all future fast start adaptation finance as grants through the UN Adaptation Fund rather than as loans through the World Bank's Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience.

Andrew Mitchell: Decisions on adaptation programming will be based on an assessment of how we can most effectively deploy UK climate finance to vulnerable countries and communities to help them adapt to climate change. We will provide support bilaterally through our country programmes as well as through regional and multilateral organisations. Key elements that we will consider when reviewing multilateral organisations include: need, anticipated results, value for money, fiduciary risks and prioritisation of the most vulnerable countries.

Developing Countries: Economic Situation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the effects of the recession on (a) developing countries and (b) developed country aid provision.

Andrew Mitchell: The information is as follows.
	(a) I discussed the effects of the recession with a number of EU Development Ministers at the G20 and World Bank meetings in September in Washington. On both occasions Development Ministers made clear the importance of supporting developing countries through this period of financial instability.
	(b) I also urged my European colleagues to stick to their aid commitments even in difficult economic times at the last EU Development Ministers meeting in May. EU Development Ministers re-affirmed their commitment to achieve EU aid targets by 2015. This was confirmed by the European Council one month later. I also raise this issue regularly in bilateral conversations, for example during my visit to Paris in September, and will continue to encourage others to meet their aid commitments.

Developing Countries: Females

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on promoting women's rights in developing countries in each of the last 12 months.

Andrew Mitchell: The Government have put girls and women at the heart of international development. We are supporting girls and women through our 27 country programmes and we have announced £10 million each year core funding to UN Women, following its publication of a strategic results plan which we required before allocating core funding.
	Since achieving results for girls and women spans DFID's entire portfolio, it is not possible to disaggregate a precise figure for aid allocated to promoting women's rights.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: The Government's policy on HIV in developing countries is set out in “Towards zero infections: the UK's position paper on HIV in the developing world” published on 31 May 2011.
	In Africa, we will help reduce new HIV infections by at least 500,000 among women by 2015, and among key populations in at least six countries. Support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria will provide 37,000 HIV-positive women with treatment to prevent transmission to their babies and 268,000 people with treatment. Our work with the Clinton Health Access Initiative will generate cost-savings to buy AIDS medicines for 500,000 more people by 2015. Our focus on care and support will include cash transfers in at least five high-prevalence countries reaching at least 120,000 people affected by HIV.

Developing Countries: Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution his Department is making to the prevention of human trafficking in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports projects in developing countries which specifically aim to reduce human trafficking. We support the Malawi Anti-Child Trafficking Project, which aims to improve knowledge of and access to rights for children in Malawi who have been trafficked or are vulnerable to being trafficked. In Bangladesh we support a Police Reform Programme which has established a Human Trafficking Investigations Unit. In Uganda, we have supported UNICEF to help identify and support trafficked women and children in the northern Karamoja region. DFID is currently developing a new regional anti-trafficking project in south Asia. The programme aims to reduce trafficking of women and girls in the region by 10% over four years. It will focus on trafficking into domestic work and the garment sector.
	DFID also works to tackle the underlying factors which put people at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking, such as poverty, lack of education, lack of economic opportunities, vulnerability to economic shocks, and social exclusion.

Developing Countries: Malaria

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle malaria in developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: Addressing malaria is one of the main priorities of the UK Government. We announced in March 2011 that we are committed to helping halve malaria deaths in at least 10 of the worst affected countries by 2015. We will support action to sustain and expand gains into the future.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) will deliver on this through support to country programmes, international organisations and research. In Nigeria, this includes distributing an additional 6 million long-lasting insecticide treated nets and help improve access to malaria treatment; in Sierra Leone it includes supporting prevention and treatment of malaria in pregnant women and young children, leading to a further 867,000 children sleeping under a LLIN and 230,000 women receiving malaria preventative treatment during pregnancy; and it includes providing support to the World Health Organisation's Global Malaria Programme to identify threats to malaria control and elimination, and to ensure new evidence results in better policies in country programmes.
	I recently spoke at the launch of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Report; “A Decade of Partnership and Results” and attended the Malaria Forum, hosted by the Gates Foundation in October.

Developing Countries: Sickle Cell Diseases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to help people with sickle cell anaemia in developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: People with sickle cell anaemia rely on good quality, accessible health services for the antibiotics, vaccinations and treatment that they need. The Department for International Development helps developing countries to strengthen their health systems so that they can provide these services, for example by ensuring that skilled, motivated staff are in place and a reliable supply of medicines is available at all times. We also work with Governments to make services more accessible to the poor, for example by replacing health service user fees with more equitable financing mechanisms. In addition, our contribution to the GAVI Alliance provides vaccines against infectious diseases, including those that can pose particular problems for people with sickle cell anaemia.

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what definition of domestic violence his Department uses.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development has prioritised preventing violence against girls and women as one of four pillars of its Strategic Vision for Girls and Women.
	DFID addresses domestic violence as one aspect of its broader work to tackle violence against girls and women, for which it uses the UN definition:
	“any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”.

Drugs: Misuse

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees of his Department have been disciplined for drug offences in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: No employees in the Department for International Development have been disciplined for drug offences in the last 12 months.

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects in Ethiopia have received funding from his Department in the last five years; which such projects are likely to receive such funding in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: I have placed in the House of Commons Library a list of projects that the Department for International Development (DFID) has funded in Ethiopia in the last five years.
	For the next four years DFID's Operational Plan for Ethiopia commits the Department to protect the most vulnerable Ethiopians, help achieve the millennium development goals by scaling up support for health, education, water and food security, and make our support more transformational by:
	putting girls and women front and centre of all we do;
	addressing geographical inequality that is the cause and consequence of fragility and conflict;
	investing to accelerate growth, trade and investment;
	increasing resilience for farmers to changing weather patterns;
	empowering citizens and building domestic accountability;
	innovating to leverage faster progress, for example by piloting results-based aid in education.
	Over the next four years DFID will support: two million children in primary school (almost half will be girls); the delivery of half a million safe births; 1.4 million people to gain access to safe drinking water; the creation of 150,000 jobs (of which 112,500 for women and girls) and 3.5 million women with access to security and justice.

IRG Ltd

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has signed any contracts with IRG Ltd since May 2010.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development has not signed any contracts with IRG Ltd since May 2010.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times his Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development does not have any in-house legal advisers.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) instructing counsel in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) the first six months of 2011; how many times (A) his Department was taken to court and (B) a decision taken by his Department was subject to a judicial review; and what the outcome was of each such (1) case and (2) review.

Stephen O'Brien: TSol has opened 85 new files in respect of instances of advisory work and/or litigation since 2007. Many of these files will not involve civil litigation or judicial review proceedings and it is not possible to provide a detailed summary of the outcomes or advice provided in respect of each files in the form requested.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was of (a) internal and (b) external legal advice commissioned by his Department in the first six months of 2011.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development's legal costs for the first six months of calendar year 2011 totalled £736,438.83. These all related to costs paid to external advisers, the Department has no internal legal function.

South Africa: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to the public purse of training by the Care Quality Commission of 10 inspectors from South Africa has been; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The improvement of the quality of health care is one of the key priorities of the Government of South Africa. As part of its support to achieving this improvement, the Department for International Development is facilitating learning between the UK Care Quality Commission (CQC) and counterparts in South Africa. South African inspectors have been invited to join the CQC inspector orientation training programme at a total cost of £57,860 for all 10 South African inspectors. These costs will be met by DFID and are inclusive of flights; accommodation and all other expenses. There are no cost implications for the CQC or the Department of Health. This represents good value for money in that CQC is a global lead in this area and will not in this case be charging any fees. This is a good example of how UK expertise can benefit partner Governments.

South Sudan: Commonwealth

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on South Sudan joining the Commonwealth.

Andrew Mitchell: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I fully support South Sudan's application to join the Commonwealth. If possible, we would like to see it join by 2013, as long as it meets the relevant criteria, especially, those relating to the core values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Ultimately it will be for all member states to agree on whether to admit South Sudan to the Commonwealth.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

4G Mobile Technology

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much he expects to raise from the auctioning of spectrum for 4G mobile technology; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: We have made no estimate of potential receipts from the spectrum auction.

Advisers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what arrangements his Department has put in place for paying expenses of experts and external advisers to enable them to attend meetings in London.

John Penrose: In some cases members of expert groups agree to participate on the basis that they are not remunerated and any expenses related to their activities must be met by the individuals or organisations themselves.
	Non-departmental staff are entitled to claim for travel and subsistence at the same rates that apply for departmental staff. Any claim must comply with the Department's travel and subsistence rules and all claims for incidental expenses must comply with Government accounting rules.

Arts: Finance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on simplifying access to finance for (a) artists, (b) video game organisations and (c) musicians.

Edward Vaizey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 20 October 2011, Official Report, column 1051W.

Betting Shops

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many operating licences have been issued by the Gambling Commission for betting shops in each local authority area.

Jeremy Hunt: The Gambling Commission publishes data annually about the total number of betting operator licences it has issued at:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/gh-about_us/annual_report_and_accounts.aspx
	However, this information is not broken down by local authority area.
	Licensing authorities are responsible for issuing premises licences for individual betting shops and will therefore hold records of the number of such licences issued.

Charities

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions his Department has had with the charity operating the Waverley; what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of keeping the paddle steamer in operation; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: holding answer 28 October 2011
	The paddle steamer Waverley is the largest operational vessel in the UK's National Historic Fleet, and is of pre-eminent national and regional significance.
	National Historic Ships, a body funded by this Department which has a UK-wide remit and acts as official adviser to the UK Governments on historic vessels, has offered advice and support to the Paddle Steamer Waverley Trust. The Director attended a meeting on 12 August 2011 with the Chairman and members of the Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Ltd to discuss what can be done through business planning development and fundraising to keep Waverly in service. In addition, the Heritage Lottery Fund, which also has a UK-wide remit, has awarded two grants (£2,689,000 in 1996-97 and £3,028,000 in 2001-02) in recognition of the vessel's heritage value.
	Although the Waverley tours many parts of the UK, it is owned by an independent charitable trust based in Scotland and thus is also related to Scottish Ministers' responsibilities.

Communications Bill

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to introduce his proposed communications Bill. [R]

Edward Vaizey: A Green Paper will be published shortly after Christmas. The public consultation that follows will inform a draft communications Bill to be produced by mid-2013. Our aim is to complete the legislative process by the end of this Parliament. The timetable is designed to ensure that there is sufficient time to have a full and open dialogue about the complex issues involved and reflects the importance of this sector to the UK.

Communications Bill

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the regional and national representation is of his Department's external group on the drafting of the communications Bill.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), published an open letter in May, setting key questions to stakeholders and inviting input to the drafting of the Green Paper. The letter itself was cleared via write-around to all other Government Departments. The open letter elicited over 160 replies—including individual responses from all the devolved Administrations.
	The Department is hosting a meeting with representatives from all other Departments, including all the devolved Administrations, in November, and policy officials are maintaining an ongoing, open dialogue with devolved Administrations on specific issues as appropriate.

Cultural Education Review

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects to publish the independent review of cultural education.

Edward Vaizey: This Department, along with the Department for Education, will publish Darren Henley’s review of cultural education later this year.

Departmental Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: This Department has no full-time equivalent staff employed on consultancy contracts.

Departmental Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many applications from employees to run services for which his Department is directly responsible he has received since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: This Department has received no applications from employees to run services for which it is directly responsible since May 2010.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department received a pay rise other than by promotion in the last two years; and what the average increase was in each such year.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently subject to a two-year pay freeze which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), in June 2010. Under the terms of the pay freeze, only employees who earn less than £21,000 are entitled to receive a payment of at least £250. In 2010, payments were made to 17 employees with an average payment of £355.
	In 2011, payments have been made to nine employees with an average payment of £360.
	43 staff within the Department were entitled to contractual pay increases as a result of terms agreed in other Government Departments. These employees received an average of £926.45.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department and the bodies for which he is responsible earned more than (a) £65,000, (b) £95,000, (c) £140,000 and (d) £175,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

John Penrose: The number of civil servants in this Department who earned more than £65,000, £95,000, £140,000 and £175,000 in the last financial year is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Salary Number of ci vil servants in the year 2010- 11 Number currently (September) 2011 
			 More than £65,000 29 28 
			 More than £95,000 8 6 
			 More than £140,000 3 3 
			 More than £175,000 2 2 
		
	
	We do not hold this information for our arm's length bodies. I have therefore asked their chief executives to consider the question raised by the hon. Gentleman and to write to him direct. Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Responsibilities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport at how many events organised by (a) charities, (b) other civil society groups, (c) businesses and (d) lobbying organisations Ministers and senior officials in his Department have given speeches in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: Details of speeches given by Ministers in the Department to various organisations are published on our website at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/ministers_speeches/default.aspx
	Ministers and senior officials are sometimes required to give short speeches at other events but these details are not recorded centrally.

Digital Broadcasting

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with representatives of small businesses on digital switchover.

Edward Vaizey: Representatives from electronics retailers and manufacturers are invited quarterly to discuss the digital TV switchover programme and review progress with me, as the Minister responsible for TV switchover. The most recent meeting was on 22 September 2011. Digital UK also engages with small business groups on a regular basis.

Digital Consumer Expert Group

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the regional composition is of his Department's digital consumer expert group.

Edward Vaizey: The consumer expert group (CEG) currently includes only organisation with national interests, such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People. Which? and the Rural Communities Council. Organisations with specific regional interests could be members subject to the agreement of the CEG.

Digital Consumer Expert Group

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how members of his Department's digital consumer expert group were recruited; how such members are remunerated; and what expenses may be claimed by such members.

Edward Vaizey: In 2003 the Government invited organisations with a very obvious interest in broadcasting and consumer protection to participate in the consumer expert group (CEG). Since then organisations have been welcomed to join the consumer expert group, subject to the agreement of the group itself and demonstrating a genuine interest in the issues which the CEG is considering.
	Members of the consumer expert group are not remunerated and any expenses related to CEG activities must be meet by the individuals or organisations themselves.

Digital Economy Act 2010

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what statutory instruments he plans to lay before the House under the provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2010; and when he expects to lay each such instrument before the House.

Edward Vaizey: The Government will be submitting two statutory instruments to the House over the coming period to take forward the online infringement of copyright provisions within the Digital Economy Act 2010. The first, which is currently under consideration under the terms of the technical standards directive, sets out the way in which the costs of the provisions will be shared by industry. The second will be an order setting out the initial obligations code. We would expect the instruments to be laid before both Houses in the first quarter of 2012.

Equiniti

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department expects to raise from the resale by Equiniti of surrendered equipment as part of the programme making and special events funding scheme.

Edward Vaizey: The Department will not raise any funds from the resale of this equipment as it is covered by a contract between Ofcom and Equiniti. Ofcom has not made any assessment of how much revenue the resale of equipment under the scheme will realise. The contract between Ofcom and Equiniti contains a gain share clause whereby 54% of the resale value is returned to HM Treasury. Equiniti must cover its own cost of sales from its share of the resale value.

Equiniti

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when the contract between Ofcom and Equiniti on the programme making and special events funding scheme was signed.

Edward Vaizey: The contract between Ofcom and Equiniti on the programme making and special events funding scheme was signed on 25 June 2010.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many times his Department has sought advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

John Penrose: The Department does not record the number of times the legal team has sought advice from external counsel.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) instructing counsel in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) the first six months of 2011; how many times (A) his Department was taken to court and (B) a decision taken by his Department was subject to a judicial review; and what the outcome was of each such (1) case and (2) review.

John Penrose: The Department's expenditure on legal advice and instructing counsel for the years in question is set out in the following table.
	We are unable to provide the information in the manner in which my hon. Friend has requested because we record costs by financial year. Also, we do not separately record costs incurred instructing counsel, and they are not readily identifiable from overall external legal costs expenditure.
	
		
			 Financial year Total (£) 
			 2011-12 958,691 
			 2010-11 1,706,527 
			 2009-10 2,536,095 
			 2008-09 2,499,831 
			 2007-08 2,262,809 
			 2006-07 2,540,994 
		
	
	The Department does not record centrally the number of times it has been taken to court, the number of decisions taken by the Department that were subject to a judicial review and the outcome of each case.

Equiniti

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what measures are in place to ensure that only licensed users are permitted to buy surrendered programme making and special events equipment from Equiniti; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: A procedure is in place whereby Equiniti checks with JFMC, which issues wireless telegraphy licences for programme making and special events on behalf of Ofcom, whether the potential purchaser holds a current channel 69 licence. Equiniti will only sell surrendered equipment where this is the case.

Mobile Phones

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what procurement process will be applied when implementing the decision to extend mobile coverage to 99% of the population.

Edward Vaizey: The procurement strategy for extending mobile coverage is one of a number of tasks that are now being taken forward by my officials over the coming weeks. Before any decisions are taken on a procurement process, I would expect discussions to take place on possible options with a range of interested organisations.

Museums and Galleries

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what (a) museums, (b) galleries and (c) heritage sites he has visited in an official capacity in each region since May 2010.

Edward Vaizey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 21 October 2011, Official Report, column 1162W, providing the details of visits in the last 12 months.

Museums and Galleries

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people have made recent representations to him regarding the future of the Captain Cook Birthplace museum in Marton, Middlesbrough.

Edward Vaizey: To date, our records show that the Department has received and responded to 362 representations regarding the future of the Captain Cook Birthplace museum in Marton, Middlesbrough. The museum is the responsibility of the local authority, in this case Middlesbrough council, which must decide on how best to fund and deliver its cultural services. It is not appropriate for the Department to prescribe how it does so.

Ofcom

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what powers Ofcom has to prevent the re-selling of equipment surrendered as part of the programme making and special events funding scheme back into the UK market; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The contract with Equiniti required that Ofcom must approve any disposal proposal (including resale) made by Equiniti of surrendered equipment. The proposal for disposal has been approved and requires that Equiniti only sells to licensed users and imposes a requirement on purchasers to modify, destroy or return the equipment to Equiniti by the time licensed (and therefore lawful) use of channel 69 finishes at the end of 2012. If a potential purchaser is not licensed or does not agree to modify, destroy or return the equipment to Equiniti, then the sale cannot proceed. Purchasers are required to confirm in writing to Equiniti that they have either modified the equipment to operate on channel 38 or channel 70, disposed of the equipment under the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations or returned it to Equiniti. Ofcom can request that purchasers provide documentary evidence of disposal or modification (and to make equipment available for inspection on request in the case of modification).

Ofcom

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 540W, on Ofcom, if he will place in the Library a copy of the invitation to tender produced by Ofcom inviting contractors to bid for the programme making and special events funding scheme.

Edward Vaizey: We understand that Ofcom intends to publish the information to tender document on its website.

Public Libraries

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to set (a) the Local Government Group and (b) Arts Council England targets for the roll-out of the ideas and best practice arising from the Future Libraries programme.

Edward Vaizey: In line with the Local Government Association’s (LGA’s) Taking the Lead approach to sector-led improvement, which the Government support, Arts Council England (ACE) and the LGA have no intention of imposing performance targets on local authorities.
	Instead, ideas and best practice from the Future Libraries programme have been shared with local authorities throughout the life of the programme to inspire improvement across the sector. I wrote to all authorities in February enclosing a short paper outlining a number of lessons learnt from the Future Libraries programme, together with additional examples of current good practice from a range of local authorities.
	The Local Government Group published a final report on the programme in August. It set out the emerging models for delivery of public library services, namely:
	Through co-location or new, non-traditional outlets and service points;
	Using external providers—trusts and charitable companies, other councils or through the private sector;
	Sharing services with other councils;
	Empowering communities to do things their own way.
	ACE will launch the libraries development initiative next month with the aim of building on the Future Libraries programme.

Radio Frequencies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps have been taken to ensure that channel 69 is clear of programme making and special events use after September 2012.

Edward Vaizey: We understand from Ofcom that there are no Wireless Telegraphy Act licences in existence or planned to be issued which entitle licensees to make use of channel 69 for programme making and special events after September 2012 and, therefore, that the channel in question will be clear at that point. The Government provided funding for a scheme to compensate pre-existing channel 69 users who previously had an expectation of continued use after 2012, which has been making payments since March 2011 and will continue to do so in 2012.

Radio Frequencies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much revenue he expects to accrue to the Exchequer from the resale of surrendered equipment as part of the programme making and special events funding scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: We have not made any assessment of how much revenue the resale of equipment under the scheme will realise.

Radio Frequencies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps have been taken to ensure that equipment surrendered under the programme making and special events funding scheme cannot use channel 69 after the channel has been cleared in October 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The contract between Ofcom and Equiniti requires destruction of equipment in accordance with environmental regulations, return or modification for lawful use. Further, there is a requirement that any purchaser of surrendered equipment agrees to take the equipment out of use by the time licensed (and therefore lawful) use of channel 69 expires and confirm in writing to Equiniti that they have either modified the equipment to operate on Channel 38 or Channel 70, disposed of the Equipment under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations or returned it to Equiniti. Ofcom can request purchasers provide documentary evidence of disposal or modification (and to make equipment available for inspection on request in the case of modification). Any use of programme making and special events equipment in Channel 69 (re-sold or otherwise) after the deadline will be unlawful and Ofcom has powers under the Wireless Telegraphy Act to take enforcement action against unlawful use of spectrum.

Rugby: Tourism

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his Department's tourism plan is for the (a) 2013 Rugby League World Cup, (b) 2015 Rugby Union World Cup and (c) 2014 Commonwealth Games.

John Penrose: VisitBritain has already launched a four-year international marketing campaign (“You're Invited”), aimed at core and emerging markets, based on investment of almost £50 million from its funds, and additional support from the private sector, toward generating a £100 million marketing fund. Alongside this, VisitEngland will take forward a major domestic tourism campaign to promote domestic destinations, taking advantage of the ‘staycation’ effect and revitalising our domestic offer.
	VisitBritain and VisitEngland will work with the tourism industry and the tourist boards of the devolved nations, as appropriate, to maximise the economic opportunities offered by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games, the 2013 Rugby World Cup, the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup, and the 2014 Commonwealth games.

Tourism

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will provide support to help preserve the paddle steamer Waverley as a tourist attraction.

John Penrose: The paddle steamer (PS) Waverley is the largest operational vessel in the National Historic Fleet and as such is distinguished as being of pre-eminent national or regional significance.
	National Historic Ships, a body funded by this Department as the official adviser to the UK Government on historic vessels, has been supporting the PS Waverley Trust by offering support and advice on business planning, fundraising and accessing available grants. In addition, the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded PS Waverley £5,717,000 for two major restoration projects (£2,689,000 in 1996-97 and £3,028,000 in 2001-02), and has also met with the PS Waverley Trust to offer advice on accessing a small grants programme and support for business planning.
	Beyond this, the vessel is owned by an independent charitable trust based in Scotland and as such would fall under the remit of Scottish Ministers.

Tourism

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on supporting regional tourism agencies as part of the growth review.

John Penrose: The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), meets regularly with destination management organisations and industry bodies. Over the next four years VisitBritain will be running a major international marketing campaign, aimed at core and emerging markets, based on investment of almost £50 million from their funds, and additional support from the private sector, toward generating a £100 million marketing fund. This will showcase Britain to the world and aims to attract 4 million extra visitors, spending £2 billion in the UK economy, which will support businesses, jobs and growth.
	VisitEngland is working closely with local areas and destinations, in line with the Government's localism agenda, to grow the value of local tourism economies. This is co-ordinated through the National Strategic Framework for Tourism, which includes an action programme developed in consultation with the tourism sector. This will include a four-year domestic tourism campaign to promote domestic destinations, taking advantage of the ‘staycation' effect and revitalising our domestic offer, generating up to £500 million in additional visitor spend and 5.3 million additional overnights.
	Tourism policy seeks to help improve the sector's productivity and competitiveness, in particular, to address the burden of regulation affecting the industry. The Government's Red Tape Challenge focused on the hospitality sector in May, inviting the industry and the public to identify regulations holding back the industry and stifling growth. Alongside this, the Government have set up an industry task force, led by senior industry figures, which is working on identifying rules, regulations and inspections impeding the sector, and which might be cut, modified or abolished.
	The Government's plans for promoting the growth of the visitor economy are set out in detail in the paper, “Government Tourism Policy” published in March 2011, and available at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7896.aspx